Road to Redemption
by Helgenraiser124
Summary: "I've done things I never thought I did...Things I can't change now...I wanted the truth but, only got fed lies...So I left that truth behind for an easier lie...a new lie...a new life...a new beginning...what I didn't know was how hard it would be to maintain the facade to hold together that lie." My own main character replacing Yu to make rifts to the story of facades...Persona.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone this RTR. And yes this is my first fic ever...Please review and give your honest opinions of story so I can be better as I go along...But, just cause I'm new don't dare pull any punches...I need the criticism to improve and would like to see how far I can go into writing...You have my thanks for anyone who does so. Oh and as for the summary of this story...Yu Narukami is not in the story...he's replaced by my character with his own story, past, and personality...This a story I've been thinking of for a long time now so I've just now decided to type it up...Whelp...I hope you all enjoy the journey this story will embark you on...and yes...this character will cause rifts in the story to change things up...it would be a shame if this was just a rehash of the entire game now wouldn't it...(insert maniacal evil laugh) sorry had to get that outta my system anyways onwards to the story! **  
**PS disclaimer: No I don't own persona 4 or any characters in it besides my own main character...(sad face)**

Road to Redemption

? POV

...?

...The hell?...

...I open my eyes and I can feel the color of neon blue boring into my retinas as I try to close them...allas no such luck as I'm rather curious as to where the hell I am right now...

...Dammit why is my vision so blurry right now. Ah. there we go I can feel myself moving...Must still be on the tra-

...

I'm sure there's a reason why I'm sitting in a rather comftorable blue leather seat in a confined type of space with two people I don't recognize coming onto the train...A women...why are her eyes...golden? She's wearing some sort of blue fancy ass outfit with platinum blonde hair with a book resting on her lap...next to her is...Can't really tell...he's looking down so I can't really see his face...but he seems to be bald...and wearing a black suit...that much I know for sure...I look around myself and out the window and everything is like an indigo blue...it's...unsettling...

outside the window are light cosmetic like stars passing by...are we in a limo? a...spaceship? Last I checked I was in a train heading to Inaba...the fuck is going on right now?

None of my many questions are answered however even when the other passenger sitting across from raises his head greeting me with a creepy ass grin that would put the Cheshire cat's creepiness to shame and white bulging bloodshot eyes...Am I being kidnaped or something?

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." The apparently long-nosed creepy man says still wearing that chilling grin on his face...I don't say anything as I'm at a bit of a loss for words of what to say right now. What the hell should I say right now? I don't even know how I got here!

"Ah...It seem we have a guest with an intriguing destiny... *chuckle*"

...well that was one of the creepiest chuckles if I've ever heard one...

"...Um...excuse me if I sound a bit blunt but, who in the hell are you and where in the hell am I?" I say a feeling a bit uneasy in the situation I find myself...I swear that guy is wearing a rape face right now proving this just has to be a kidnaping I'm sure of it!

"My name is Igor...I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter...It is a room that only those who are bound by a "contract" may enter...It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future. Now then...Why don't you introduce yourself...?" He explains to me his facial expression never faltering...Wait hold on...he doesn't even know who I am? So then why the hell did he kidnap me!? Okay calm down...breathe...maybe if I play along and give him my name then maybe I can buy some time to find a way out of here...wait...do I tell this guy my real name or new name...nah telling him my real name is too risky...I'd better just stick with my alius.

"Kuro...Kuro Narukami" I say deciding to stick to my alius.

"No, no, no my friend I mean your real name." Says Igor completely shocking me by calling me out on my bullshit...maybe if I play it off...

"What are you talking about? That is my real na-

"There's no need for you to keep your facade up...We know who you really are" the women in the corner says speaking up for the first time...now I'm really worried...if they know who I am...then they know what I've done...this situation...is not good...this turning bad...still I shouldn't panic...Need to relax...don't show them any weakness...maybe if I just give them whatever the hell they want they'll back off...

"Ok...fine...I'm Rick...Rick Syx" I say mentioning my real name much to my chagrin...Damn...this is bad...Like, I said if they know who I really am then I'm in some really deep shit right now...Are they with the authorities?

"Hm...I see." Igor simply says...He sees? sees what? "Now, let's take a look into your future, shall we? Do you believe in fortune telling?" He asks me suddenly...the hell is this line of questioning going?

"...not really...I tend not wanting to believe that my fate is predetermined...why?" I ask still on edge...what do these people want?

"Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different...*chuckle* Life itself follows the same principles, does it not?" He says as a card suddenly appears on the table between us...I can tell what it looks like from...looks like...a tower?...what kind of fortune telling is this?

"Hm...The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent." Oh great. As if my luck wasn't bad enough as it is now I got fortunes telling me that it's gonna get worse...fun. "The card indicating the future beyond that is..." He says as another card appears on the table in what looks like a moon.

"The Moon, in the upright position. This card represents "hesitation" and "mystery"...Very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny...If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost." He says grinning as if he enjoys being the berror of bad news.

"That's fuckin wonderful...even more bad luck...sounds like a dream come true." I say sarcastically at my bad fortune.

"Oh! but, worry not my friend! My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen. Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself." He says to gesturing to the blonde women next to him who's only spoken a few sentences since me being here.

"My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey." she says looking at me with golden eyes...she ain't all that bad looking either when I really look at her...though any thought of that is banished by my current predicament, and as she continues talking. "I must say though...It's not everyday we get a visitor of the Velvet room with such an...interesting past." She comments making my eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets.

"So you do fucking know!" I jumping out of my seat.

"Relax my friend for we are not your enemy." Igor said not at all fazed at my outburst As I have said before...We are hear to assist you past and past actions not withstanding as they what make you the fool." He says.

"The fool? You making fun of me now?" I say with a cocked eyebrow.

"The Fool Arcana does not mean it that can be taken lightly. The Fool is number zero. It is the void from which all other things begin. So while it may mean emptiness it also means infinite possibilities." Margaret explains. Now both of my eyebrows are raised.

"...It does?" I ask skeptical

"Ahh! You must be new to Arcanum. If you must know The Fool represents innocence, divine inspiration, madness, freedom, spontaneity, inexperience, chaos, and creativity. It is what you are..." He explains to me...This whole metaphorical crap is starting to make my head spin and I begin to wonder if this shit might just be a figment of my fucked up imagination.

"Earlier before...you said this was a dream...so this is a dream right?" I said suddenly clinging to the thought that this was all a figment of my imagination.

"But of course! As I said you dreaming as of right now...time marches on in your world as you have simply dosed off for the moment. We shall attend to the details another time. Until then, farewell..." He says before my vision blurs.

...

The second my dream ends I snap my eyes open and take in familiar surroundings...I'm still at the station...must of dozed off from sheer boredom...My boredom is cured however as my train pulls in and the door in front of me opens...I'm all to eager to get in and move on from my past life and onto my new.

It hasn't even been that long since I left the hospital this morning and I'm still aching from my damn injuries...at least I won't have to put up with those same boring white walls in where I'm going...Jesus I'm still worn out though...eh fuck it. I'll just close my eyes for a few seconds and...

As soon as I close my eyes the vision of some...women struggling in something plagues my mind. Also the images of two familiar faces from a certain dream of mine bursts into my mind causing me to snap out of my short lived nap...I need to relax...it was just a dream after all...so much for relaxing...I can still feel a cold sweat in my back...when have dreams gotten me this worked up?...wait...where was I supposed to get off?

"Now pulling into Yasoinaba station"...I hear as I quickly fish out my phone and open it to see a text from an familiar man.

"Meet us outside Yasoinaba station at 4pm" the text says...well shit. I lunge for the door right before it can close on me and make it outside...damn I gotta stay on task. I leave the train station's front entrance and look around for the man who sent me the text.

"Hey over here!" I here someone say... I look to the source and sure enough there's Dojima...the man I'll be living with for a whole year...I move forward with purpose to start a new life...  
A life that has alluded me till now.


	2. A new life A new beginning

Road to Redemption: A new life...a new beginning

I head towards Dojima and what seems to be a young girl in a pink outfit with brown hair fitted with two small pony tails...must be his daughter he was talking about. Living with a kid that young will be a bit of a pain but...oh well...what can I do?

"Well you're more handsome out of the hospital than you are covered in bandages." He comments with a smirk. I blush a tad bit as no one besides my previous family hardly says anything that complimentary...though I guess he's now family so I guess that's doesn't matter.

"Yeah don't remind me...nice to finally get out of that place." I grunt reminiscing on my former predicament.

"Welcome to Inaba Kuro. From this day onward for a year I'll be looking after you." He says as he then gestures down to who I assume is his daughter. "This here's my daughter. Y'know the one I'd always tell you about when I'd come to visit. Come on, Nanako, introduce yourself to Mr. Kuro." He asks her as she simply looks down...

she's not even looking at me when all I can here come from her mouth is. "...lo"...after that she scurries back behind her father from what appears to be shyness...come on now I'm not that intimidating am I? Sure I have a bit of stubble on my face and my face is pretty deep and bass...that and my not very charming sunken stormy grey eyes and my messy jet black hair don't make me very...fit for looking un-intimidating in child's eyes...oh...It must be because of the scars...The scar that overlappes my left eye and the smaller one horizontally across my right cheek does make me a bit...unattractive.

"...She seems to be a bit scared of me." I comment deadpanned.

Dojima however seems to find this rather amusing as he chuckles a little. "What're you so shy for?" he asks with an amused smirk.

Nanako however seems to fail in finding the humor in this and smacks her dad's backside and pouts.

"Ow! hahaha...what was that for." Dojima asks...

"...snkr..." I couldn't help but find that rather funny.

"Oh you think it's funny do you?" he asks cocking an eyebrow..."Alright you two Let's get going. My car's over there." He says as I make my way over to his grayish car. However before I can proceed I'm stopped by some girl with black hair black and white stockings, white shirt, and red skirt...she grabs my arm and shoves a piece of paper into me...?...the hell...?

"You dropped this." She says a tad forcibly...when the hell did I drop this...what's she talkin about?

"Um...It's not mine it-

"Whatever. All I did was pick it up." she said before huffing and walking off...the hell is her problem? Before I can even look at what she gave me or give her a wise ass comment Dojima calls for me.

"Hey come on I'm sure you don't want to stay here any longer than you have to!" he says from his car.

"Shoot. Coming Dojima!" I say hurriedly making my way to his car.

*Flashback*

_"...ugh...Dafuq am I?...?" _A groaning in pain boy wrapped in bandages complained as he found himself surrounded by white plastered walls in a hospital gown laying on a bed.

"urgh...uh" He simply groaned in pain as he attempted to move.

"...Finally awake huh?...Doctors were worried you were gonna go into a comatose." The boy heard a man say. He slowly turned his head to the left as much as it allowed him to see a tanned man with lightly with short black hair and a light stubble on his chin.

"..."

"Not talkin much huh? Can't blame ya since your probably in shock wondering where you are...To answer your obvious question...Your in a hospital...Near Okina station...Why you ask?" The Man leaned in closer to the boy staring him in the eyes...almost analyzing. "I was hoping you could tell us.

"...Wh-..ung" the boy strained his throat feeling like it had sawdust shoved down. "Who-...wh-who are you?" The bandaged wrapped boy finally asked.

"I'm...a private Investigator...Ryotaro Dojima...I've given you my name...why don't you give me yours?" Dojima asked the boy.

The boy opened his mouth for a moment as if to give him an answer...but stopped as if he realized something...his eyes widened in concern and then began to tremble.

"Is something wrong kid?" Dojima asked in concern.

"...I...I can't remember." The boy said. Dojima's eyes widened.

"Your name?...you can't remember your name?" He asked carefully not to startle him

"Anything...My name...My God...I can't...I can't...I can't remember anything!?...I-I-I-AGH! the boy suddenly coughed and wheezed

"Hey! Hey calm down!" Dojima said putting an arm on the boys bandaged chest to get him to relax.

"Panicking won't do any good...the bullet wounds you sustained have made you very weak." He explained slowly and calmly.

"...Bullet...wounds?" The boy asked his eyes with genuine concern...the Dojima sighed.

"I'd better explain huh...You were found in the middle of a supermarket called Junes...bleeding...near death...I'm trying to find out why...Does that ring any bells to you?" Dojima asked with hope.

The boy looked thoughtful for a second but, then sighed. "...No...I"m sorry...I...I just...everything is just a blur...I...I can't." The boy seemed on the edge of tears.

"Hey relax...you need to be calm...we'll figure this out...look I'm gonna get a doctor so that I can find out more about your condition, I'll be back in a second okay?..." Dojima asked fatherly to the boy...the boy nodded his throat now to hurt to speak. Dojima placed a hand on the boys unwounded shoulder and said.

"We'll figure this out...Don't worry...We'll find the guys who did this and get you justice." He said before momentarily leaving...as soon as he left the room the boy breathed a sigh of relief.

_...He bought it...I can't believe it but...He bought it..._

...

After driving for a bit we stop at a gas station to get some...gas obviously while nanako makes her way to the bathroom. I step out of the car to stretch my legs and to give off a guttural yawn to get some of the car sickness outta me. I look up in the sky and reminisce on how I truly have dodged a bullet...It's really happening...my new life isn't far off...I can put everything behind me soon enough.

"Say...are you in high school?" I hear the gas station attendant ask me...

So I offer an answer and a question. " Yeah so what?" I say gruffly. Not really in much of a talking mood.

If he was put off by my blunt comment he doesn't show it has continues on talking.  
"Does it surprise a city boy to see how little there is out here? There's so little to do, I'm sure you'll get bored fast. You'll either be hanging out with your friends or doing part-time jobs." he says. So that seems to be the rundown of the town I'm in...Meh...not much of a bother to me.

"Well whatever I'll live. I'm not much of a giddy socialite in the first place so I don't really hang out with people...as in what I can do to kill time...I'll just play video games like I usually do...Oh and by the way...I ain't from much of a big city." I reply setting the record straight.

"Oh? So are you a foreinor then? You don't look Japanese." He asks apparently curious about my origins...I'm a bit guarded about where I'm from but, at this point I suppose it doesn't matter...eh fuck it. I doubt I'll be seeing him much anyways. What's the harm? after all in my policy...when in doubt...always fuck it.

"Yeah I'm from America actually...Concord, California to be exact." I say layin down the facts.

"Ah I see interesting...Must refreshing to be in a new country...what brings someone like you all the way to the sticks? Are you a study abroad student?" he asks with more curiosity...I won't tell him the full truth...half the truth should suffice.

"Sort of yeah...I'll be staying here for a year until I can get to a better school." I say giving part of my truth.

"Intersting...Oh by the way, we're actually looking for part-time help right now. Give it some thought, why don't you? We don't mind if you're a student." He says then offering his hand...which I return the gesture by shaking it. "Oh, I should get back to work." as he leaves I feel a sharp pain in my head and my gut...and images flush into my mind...images of...back then...goddamnit why am I seeing this shit now?... I suddenly feel very ill.

"...Are you okay? Did you get carsick? You don't look too good..." I hear nanako ask me as I look down to her to give me a reply...It's true I don't feel all that good...can't be just because I remembered that...regardless after some worrying from Dojima and Nanako we go back to the car and head to our destination.

The Dojima residence.

As I get out of the car and look at the house...It finally dawns on me that this is where I will live for the next year...Better get used to it I suppose...I sigh and move my luggage inside.

...

As soon as I drop my stuff off in my new room upstairs I head down to find Dojima only to find Nanako instead with food on the table meant for three...where's Dojima?

As if reading my thoughts Nanako answers my question.  
"He went out...He had to go to work..." She said sounding sad...Must happen a lot...Dojima never really did tell me what he did...just that he investigated stuff for a living...

"Your food's gonna get cold." Nanako reminds me interrupting my train of thought as I then sit down to eat the meal prepared...It's gonna be tough getting used to living in a Japanese styled house...killer on my back just sitting on the floor...As we eat I can practically feel nanako boring curious holes into my skull just lookin at me. Whenever I look at her however she just looks down and continues her meal...This is pretty awkward...why is she so scared to just talk...she's a kid for Christ sake you'd think she'd be interested to know why there's a stranger living in her house for a year now...Am I really that intimidating?

"..."

"..."

Ok this is getting uncomftorable...maybe...I should break the silence before I choke on the oppressiveness.

"So...how old are you?" I ask...oh God why do I feel like an old perv asking a little girl how old she is?"

"...I'm six..." she says still looking at me uneasily...at least I'm getting somewhere...Jesus this kid is wound tighter than my fuckin back...and it's wound up pretty damn tight.

"Well...I'm curious...Nanako...What does your dad do?" I ask with genuine curiosity.

"He...investigates stuff. Like crime scenes. My dad's a detective."THE FUCK!? HE'S A DETECTIVE!? At this new information I choke on the water I was just drinking and sputter! Shit I thought he was just a private investigator! A police Detective is a whole different ball game!

"H-hey are you alright!?" I hear Nanako ask me snapping me out of my surprised stupor to just look at her with shocked eyes before quickly coming up with an excuse for my instant reaction.

"Ugggghh...yeah I'm just surprised he ugh...has a big job that's all...must be dangerous catching the bad guys and all." I said smiling a bit and scratching my head to play off my surprise like nothing...and failing at it.

"And now for the local news." Oh! God yes a way to avoid having this conversation any longer than I have to while I compose myself!

"City council secretary Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter." I cock an eyebrow in confusion. So?...what the hell's wrong with a secretary having a relationship. I swear the media jumps over the smallest friggin thi-

"His wife, enka ballad sensation Misuzu Hiiragi, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages." Oh...that's why they're jumping over this...whelp. You cheat on your wife that's what you get...honestly some people in politics...You'd think someone like that would be smarter with decisions like that. At the very least he could've tried not to get caught.

"In response, Eye Television has decided to cancel all of announcer Mayumi Yamano's televised appearances. Until allegation of an affair with Mr. Namatame are resolved, she'll remain off the air and out of the public eye." So she's the one he was screwin on the side huh? She actually not that bad looki- wait...why do I get the feeling I've seen her somewhere before?

"...This is boring." Nanako says clearly showing her span of a child and changing the channel. To what seemed like a commercial.

"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!" I don't pay much attention to the commercial but, my attention is grabbed once nanako sings a familiar toon.

"Every day's great at your Junes!" she sings...That...was actually pretty cute...that's the liveliest and happiest I've ever seen her actually. She then turns to me frowning however.

"...Aren't you going to eat?" Huh? I look down alarmed due to the possibility that my food got cold. I quickly finish it off to prevent that and head up to my new room hastily to turn in for the night.

...

When I get most of my belongings in my room set up I change into my boxers and a plain white t-shirt and head to my futon...a bit different from a conventional American styled bed but it'll do...I can feel the soreness in my moaning and poor body with the wounds I sustained getting to Japan. I lay down on the said futon with the covers over battered body reminiscing on past events.

...Dojima to this day has no idea how I sustained these injuries...at the time when I was hospitalized he told me he was some sort of investigator looking into my possible assault...I told him I didn't remember...not just about the attack but, anything...my name...my origins...nothing...I lied feigning amnesia...and he bought it...so did the doctors to my surprise...I guess he felt sorry for me cause with me being a sixteen year old with no family or friends claiming me and all he offered to be my guardian...I accepted with no other place to go...I couldn't go home...not after what I did...

...When Nanako told me he was detective on the force however...this changes everything...he could find out who I really am...What I really did...but, I can't change that now...it's either keep my head down and act inconspicuous for a year...or go on the run...living on the streets...I'd rather much avoid that so I'll have to stick with the former...Damn my luck...I wanted to go to the school where there were dorms and no one looming over me like him but, he insisted that I stay for at least a year at Yasogami High and test the waters...after the year is over he said I can make my own choice of what school I want to go to...I suppose that's as fair a trade as I'll get...one year...I think I can manage...after all I made it fifteen years in America what's stopping me from making one in Japan?

...Christ all this worrying is just hurting my eyes and head...better just call it a day and get ready for tomorrow...It all begins that day...first day of school...So long as I don't fail any classes...I'll live...nothing else matters...friends and family...irrelevant...I've been given the tools to start a new life and I won't waste them...shit I'm still thinking to myself...ok...for real this time...sleep.

I close my eyes and drift off into a slumber.

...

"...Ok...what the hell is it now?" I say as I find myself suddenly enshrouded in fog...wait...why am I wearing the high school uniform?...ok...what's the last thing I remember...relax and think...

...oh yeah...I was sleeping...ok...If I was sleeping...how did I get here...the fog...it's thick...I can barely see in front of myself...I must be dreaming again...Well screw it...If this is a dream I might as well move forward till it's ov-

"Do you seek the truth?" I hear someone say from a direction I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Who's there!" I say now on edge as I now know someone else is here with me. Is it those spaceship people from my other dream?

"If it's truth you desire, come and find me..." The voice said again almost tauntingly...ok I've had enough weird ass dream to last the rest of my lifetime. I'd better find this jerk-off and find out whatever the hell he wants I suppose...got nothing else to do since I'm stuck in this dream after all...

On that note I move forward for what seems like minutes until I come across a hazy figure deep in the fog...I lean forward to try and make out whoever the hell it is but, the fog is just too deep. Seriously what's with all this damn fog? Is it really steam and we're really in a bathhouse without even realizing it?

"So...You are the one pursuing me..." The figure in the distance says...  
"Hmhmhm...Try all you like..." The figure chuckles tauntingly...for some reason I'm getting a bad vibe from this thing...I don't like where this is going...I have the urge to cut this asshole down as I suddenly find myself holding a long sword in my right hand...well this is different...Oh well slice first and ask question later.

With that thought in mind I don't know why but, unlike Igor or Margaret this...person seems like a threat...I don't hesitate to swing my sword at him and I feel like I actually hit them...however the bastard doesn't even budge.

"Hmmm...It seems that you can see a little, despite the fog...I see...Indeed...That is very interesting information...But...You will not catch me so easily...If what you seek is "truth," then your search will be even harder..." The figure rambles on.

"The hell are you talking about!? Who the hell are you!?" I ask and demand but only get met with more fog shrouding the area and further covering the vision of the figure...Ok...I have to admit...the amount of fog in this area is just TOO DAMN HIGH!

I make a another swing at my supposed opponent but, I just whiff air...or fog in this case.

"Everyone sees what they want to...And the fog only deepens...Will we meet again...? At a place other than here...Hmhm...I look forward to it..."

"Enough with the mumbo jumbo rambling crap! You still haven't answered any of my questions! Who the hell are...yoouu...ungh..." As I talk I can feel my vision fading...the hell's going on?

...

A/N: For all those getting impatient with no character interaction worry not for if you have played the game Kuro here get's to go to school for the first time in a year. Why a year you say?

Well then...I suppose you'll have to wait and then read to find out.

(Insert yet another maniacal laugh here)

I'll get out the next chapter as soon as possible so stay tuned my soon to be loyal viewers!...

...If I'll have any.  
(PS: I do not own Persona 4 or any characters besides my own main OC)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter done but, it's a long one...Longest one yet and College is an important factor of my life to accomplish but, anyways...Here it is. On with the story!

Road to Redemption: First day of school

Kuro POV:

I woke up in a cold sweat on the edge of hiperventilating, a lot of that sweat is on my back which has this cold eerie shiver going down...I swear those dream-no...that was a nightmare...

It's at this moment that I realize that it was just that...a nightmare...nothing more, nothing less...it wasn't real...Just a figment of my imagination. My phone suddenly starts ringing nearly making get all tangled up in my sheets in alarm from the sudden noise...

I look wide eyed at my still noise making phone realizing my alarm was going off...looks like I chose one hell of a time to wake up.

Still groggy from the rude awakening I had. I reluctantly get out of my futon and get dressed for my first day of school. But, no matter how much I try to smash the thoughts my mind keeps drifting to that dream...seemed so...so real...no...Can't think like that...Gotta just keep moving forward and ignore things that don't matter. Childish Nightmares being one of them.

...

My motivation to get dressed faster and complete all my Hygene is increased when I smell the aroma of an awesome breakfast downstairs. I guess something along the lines of bacon and toast and make my way downstairs to be greeted to (I called it) an awesome breakfast...With Nanako setting all of it up...Did she make all of this?...But, she's just a kid.

As she notices me in the stairway she gives me a simple good morning as I start to dig into my breakfast. I was partially right on the guess of the food. Definitely toast, but with eggs and sausage. Still I ain't complaining as hospital food is the worst. Seriously over half the crap there ain't even solid and your forced to swallow it down less you starve. So as I continue to dig into my meal disregarding table manners I feel Nanako's gaze bore into me as I eat like a starved barbarian...and she just keeps staring...and staring...why isn't she...saying anything?

"..."

"..."

Lord I could have a better conversation with my dead parents.

"So...You make this yourself?" I ask trying to lift the awkward, tense atmosphere.

"I can toast bread...and cook sunny-side up eggs in the morning. Dad can't cook, so I buy dinner." She explains...huh...kind of the opposite to my old lifestyle...mom would always make something and rarely bought anything take out related...I can see that here it's the opposite and I'll either have to rely on a six year old to make my meals, learn how to cook, or buy insta-food for the rest of my stay here...nice.

"You're starting school today, right?" She suddenly asks...I nod my head to answer in the affirmative.

"My schools on the way, so...Let's go together." she suggests to me.

"You know how to get to my school?...cause I have no clue where it is considering I've never been there." I ask her.

"Sure. We'll go after breakfast kay?" she says and on that note I nod and resume scarfing down my food and getting ready for the day.

...

When me and Nanako left the house it was pouring outside with a chilly air to boot. So we brought our respective umbrella's to keep ourselves from getting soked. My mood is improved lightly at the site of rain...don't know why but, in a way it lifts my spirits a bit. It's just one of those things in life that's unexplainable yet at the same time just...is...like how I'm more perceptive and more focused during the night.

"You keep going straight from here." Nanako says pointing out my way to the school.

"Thanks for showing the way...you gonna be okay on your way?" I ask realizing she had to walk her way to school on her own.

"It's kay...I always go by myself...I'm used to it...Bye." she says plainly and makes her way to her own school...poor kid...Dojima must be too busy to give her the time of day I bet. For me I would kill for alone time from my family. Doesn't seem like Nanako takes that role very well however...Welp...time to move onto school...

...

...I've been walking for a little bit now mindin my own business walking down the still pouring streets when I hear a rushing of water nearby. Along with a voice I've never heard.

"WHOOOOOAAAH!" I hear someone scream as I whip my body around all too late as some...guy on what appears to be a yellow bike crashes right into my gut, somehow runs over my left leg causing me to fall backwards and hit concrete on the way down causing me to black out for a bit.

When my vision gets less blurry and dizzy I swear I can make some words out.

"Shi-...kay!?...da-...lance..." is all I can really make out when my vision clears I see the guy who just ran me over standing over me saying something...and naturally...I ain't too happy about being run over.

So I do what any pissed off person would do.

I reach out and grab the guy who ran me over by the collar after sitting up with my head hurting, yet cloudy with dignified rage and slam him into a nearby garbage can. He looks bewildered at me with wide eyes as the guy he just ran over just handed his ass. I glare at him as I get a better look at him. He has light brown hair, grayish brown eyes accompanied with the same yasogami uniform I wear with headphones around his neck.

After holding him in this position for a bit I calm down a little, let go of him and stand up to my full height over him gritting my teeth as I rub the back of my head soon to be bruised head.

"Watch where your going next time Jack ass!" I growl at him glaring viciously at the startled fellow student. I don't bother hearing an explanation from his sorry ass as I continue to trudge onwards to my school not wanting to risk being late, still rubbing the back of my head and walking with a slight limp thanks to my run over leg.

...

After ten more long minutes of walking and bearing through the pain of a hurt leg I finally make it to the school. I don't bother taking in too much of the sight as I move on inside noticing how time was short. Might have to wake up earlier next time.

As I make my way inside and past the cupboards and lockers I dig in my pocket to pull out a folded piece of paper that was indeed my schedule and saw the floor my classroom was on and which number it was...I then look up at a clock posted next to the stairs as it shows how much time I have left to avoid being late on my first day...One and half minutes left...shit.

I begin to run up stairs and at a quickened pace determined to make time on my side and even make it too my designated floor and close to my classroom until someone grabs me by my arm and whirls me around forcibly.

"Hey watch it ya damn brat! No running in the hallways at all times! Ya ever read the school manual unlike most stuck-up stooges like yourself!?" The man that grabbed me said to me...A man with big bucked teeth, black soup-bowl cut hair and a hunched tall figure...Christ I can tell he hasn't been laid lately.

"YeahsurewahteverIgottago." I say hurriedly as I shake off his grip, shove him away and move onward to my classroom in a hurried pace.

"Hey! Get back here and apologize you sad sack of crap!" He shouts at me. I just ignore him and move into my classroom. Whoever the hell that ugly mug was he wasn't worth my time if he has the nerve to call me a brat and a sack of crap in one go. As soon as I step into the class room I see and hear nothing but, people chattering to themselves...of course until I stand in front of what I assume is the teacher's desk wondering where I'm supposed to sit. When I just stand there not really knowing where to sit people stop talking and look at me, like I'm deserving to be of the center of attention. I search for a clock and find one on the top right corner of the room pointing out I had eleven seconds to spare...I breathe a sigh of relief to my personal victory.

The door to the class slides open again and I'm unfortunately greeted by a familiar site...did that this jerk follow me here?

"Grg...no good...rotten..!" He stops his muttering to himself when the jerk that yelled at me sees me standing in the class...Oh god please let whatever I'm thinking be wrong.

"Well, well, well looks like your my new student punk." He says glaring at me...So basically the guy I shoved in the hallway, disobeyed and pissed off is going to be my homeroom teacher for the rest of the year...

...double shit.

"Wait a minute...I recognize you...your that new transfer student in my class aren't ya?...Yeah I recognize you from the school photos that were sent to the teacher's lounge...looks like I get the opportunity to sraighten out your rude, punk-ass!" He yells at me...Are teacher's aloud to be this rude?...surely there has to be a limit or a policy for this. I mean sure I shoved him and all but...

"Awright now shut your traps!" My new buck-toothed teacher shouts to whatever students thought wise to whisper to each other in this jerk-off's presence.

"I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward! First things first! Just 'cause it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons. Long as I'm around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow!" Great. Not only am I stuck with an asshole of a teacher, I'm stuck with a paranoid conceited asshole of a teacher...Still if I just hold my tongue, swallow my pride and focus on whatever academic tasks at hand I'll live.

"Now I hate wasting my time, but I'd better introduce this transfer student. This sad sack's been thrown from the big city out to the middle of nowhere like yesterday's garbage. And he's just as much of a loser here as he was there, so you girls better not get any ideas about hitting on him! I mean just look at this sad sack a crap! with all of those scars, over his face and that horribly done messy black hair I can tell you right now he wouldn't even be worth your own worthless time!Tell 'em your name, kid, and make it quick." He says finally finishing his tirade successfully striking a nerve at the mention of my scars...y'know what...fuck holding my tongue...he thinks I'm a hoodlum and a thug...I'll give him exactly what he wants.

"...I'm Kuro...Kuro Narukame...And I'll have you know...sir...that if you think I look like a thug or anything of the sort...you clearly haven't looked in a mirror lately." I said in a deep menacing voice losing my cool momentarily. And I can tell he's close to losing his as some I look to some of the students looking on with somewhat shocked expressions.

"Hrnh...That's it, you're on my shit list, effective immediately." He growls at me in an equally menacing voice. Bring it on ya long toothed fucker.

"Now listen up! This town is miles away from your big city of perverts and assholes, in more ways than one. You better not even think of getting involved with the girls here, let alone abusing them! But what do I know...it's not like the old days. Even here, kids grow up so damn fast. Every time I turn my back, you're fooling around on those damn phones, checking your life-journals and your my-places..." He rants on and on and on until I eventually jus tune him out hoping that if there is a God that he or she be merciful enough to create a divine intervention to shut him up less I do something I regret later and act on emotion alone.

"Excuse me! Is it okay if the transfer student sits here?" A girl with short brown hair and a green sweat top asks.

"Huh? Yeah, sure. Ya hear that? Your seat's over there. So hurry up and siddown already!" Morooka orders me as I grudgingly comply...taking my seat next to the girl who thankfully ended bucktooth's tirade.

"He's the worst huh?" She whispers to me...I merely grunt in response still fuming a bit over how much of an asshole the teacher is.

"Rotten luck for you to get stuck in this class...Well, we just have to hang in there for a year." She says sadly...

"Apparently." I say then propping my head against my hand still groggy having forgotten to splash cold water in my face this morning to wake myself up.

"Sucks to be the transfer student, ending up in King Moron's class on the first morning here..." I hear a student say from a direction I couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Yeah, he won't think twice about suspending you if you get on his bad side. Then again, we're all in the same boat..." Another says...great...so in other words he has the reputation of what I assumed earlier...A bucktoothed, dickwad, paranoid, conceited, asshole of a teacher...fun times are to be had I'm sure.

"Yeah but, don't you think he deserves it? I mean you saw those scars right? He has to be some kind of gang member you think?" My eye twitches at the mention of that...Assholes...always judging a book by it's cover.

"I wonder where he got them. He doesn't look Japanese either. He seems tough and Mysterious...I wonder what he's like." I hear a female student say...Wouldn't you like to know.

"Shut your traps! I'm taking roll, And I damn well expect you to respond in an orderly manner!" Morooka shouts at the gossiping students as I slam my head down and fall asleep as I don't see a need to be awake through the boring shit that teachers go over on the first day of school...least of all from this guy.

...

I can be two very different kinds of sleepers. A heavy sleeper tuning everyone and everything out and being unconscious for quite some time. Or a light sleeper. I'm getting rest but, I can more or less hear and feel everything going on around me...in class...I'm obviously a light sleeper whenever I'm in class which is why I can here sir bucktooth say:

"Thats all for today. Normal lectures start tomorrow." Yes! Now with this crap over with I can go do something actually worth my time! That is of course until the intercom sounds off.

" Attention, all teachers. Please report immediately to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students must return to their classrooms and are not to leave the school until further notice." Fuck! I have to stay here longer than I need to!?

"Hrnh. You heard the announcement. Don't go anywhere else until you hear otherwise." Bucktooth said. Yeah no shit sherlock. I'm sure the intercom didn't just say the exact same thing.

I feel like going back to sleep until I hear sirens going off in the distance...cops...or an ambulance...either way the sounds put me on edge.

...I highly doubt they're here for me...but, I can't help but, feel a little paranoid...a few students rush to the windows to check it out...I eavesdrop on em to gain information.

"Did something happen? Don't those sirens sound really close?" A student said...yeah they do...I just close my eyes and bury my head trying to tune everyone out until I can leave again...I can't help but, keep one eye open however, as I drift into a half consciousnsess.

I'm back in reality however after some time passes and the intercom blares back to life.

"Attention All students. There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the School Zone. Please stay calm and contact your parents or guardians as soon as possible, and quickly leave the school grounds. Do not disturb the police officers. Head directly home." Ok good so it's not related to me...still I've never had heard of anything like this happening at any of my previous schools...

"Incident"?! a student exclaims.

"What, something actually happened?" another says...yes apparently young lady.

"C'mon, let's go take a look!" Another girl says...tch...onlookers and gawkers...so long as nothing is happening to them and it's prime time news and out of the ordinary they'll go to it like a moth to light...still...I can't deny my own curiosity in this...whatever...it doesn't really concern me anyways...I think I'll just take this opportunity to head out to home. I stand up and stretch my legs, arms, and most importantly my back until I grab my school bag get ready to hit the road, until I'm stopped by a familiar face.

"Hey, are you going home by yourself?" Says the same short brown haired girl with the green sweat-top. Sizing her up she seems to be quite a bit shorter than me...standing at what I'm guessing is 5 foot 2...next her this time however is another rather...attractive girl with a long black hair sporting a red headband and a red coat with black leggings. She's nearly as tall as my own 5 ft. 8 with her looking to stand at 5 ft. 6...what could they want?

"Why don't you come with us? Oh, nearly forgot! I'm Chie Satonaka. You know I sit next to you, right?" why wouldn't I know...wait...what did she say?

"...You guys...want to walk home with me?" I ask in a bit of disbelief...

"Yeah of course I mean if you don't have a problem with it o-

"No! no...I mean no I don't mind it's just...I can't really remember the last time someone asked me to walk home with them..." I answer honestly. I immediately regret it realizing how lame that made me sound.

"Oh, I see! Well don't you worry! Were good company. Oh by the way I don't mean to sound dumb or anything but, what was your name again?" she asks. huh...she seems rather upbeat.

"It's Rick H-*cough* *cough* I-I mean sorry I mean Kuro! Kuro Narukame." I say hurriedly as I subconsciously almost said my real name to them startling them both...shit now they're gonna think I'm weird.

"Um...are you okay you seem kinda pail and you were coughing for a second." she pointed out with a worried expression. Damn...need to take a deep breath...and salvage the situation.

"Y-yeah I'm fine...sorry I just had some saliva go down the wrong pipe y'know...It's a...nice to meet you." God I'm doing so bad right now for first impressions it's not even funny.

"Well It's nice to meet you too Kuro-kun. This is Yukiko Amagi." She said gesturing to the so far silent black haired beauty.

"Oh, nice to meet you. I'm sorry that this is so sudden..." She says somewhat shily in contrast to her supposed up-beat short haired friend.

"C'mon, don't apologize like that. It makes me look like I got no upbringing. I just wanted to ask some stuff. Really, that's all." She explains...wait...ask me stuff? Does she?...Jesus I need to calm down not everyone is out to get me for crying out loud!

"Uh, umm, Miss Satonaka...?" I hear yet another familiar voice ask. I turn to my right and-Hey! It's him!

"...Aren't you that guy who ran me over earlier...?" I ask deadpanned.

He then looks at me and his eyes widen realizing what I said was just true and visibly starts sweating.

"O-oh! Th-the transfer student! L-look dude I didn't mean to do that I ju-

"Ran him over? Yosuke! what did you do to him!? Is that why he has a cut on his head!?" She said pointing at my wound that was indeed still stinging and still there from our previous collision. The brown haired man who ran me over earlier now apparently known as 'Yosuke' started scratching his head sheepishly before continuing talking.

"L-look man like I said it was an accident I really just lost control of my bike with the rainy weather and all y'know?" He said nervously trying to defuse the situation.

"...uh-huh...next time you plan on running me over again though...be sure to let me know sooner...before you have bigger accident." I say with a glare. That makes him visibly shiver...I didn't feel too bad about threatening him just now as the sting and pain in my head is still very much there. I begin to size him up as well and he seems to be a bit taller than me by at least an inch...damn...damn my shortness.

"A-anyways Satonaka-san this was really awesome. Like, the way they moved was just amazing to see..." He explains...the hell is he even talking about right now? I look to Chie who has a just as confused expression on her face.

Yosuke then takes out a DVD case and shoves it forward. "And...I'm really sorry! It was an accident! Please just have mercy until my next paycheck!" He cries shoving it in her hands before piveting on his heel.

"See ya! Thanks!" He says hurriedly before he starts running towards the exit of the class. Chie not far behind him.

"Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD!?" She shouts before finally catching up to him and-

*WHAM*

"Argh!" Yosuke cries as I cringe at Chie's crippling blow...she didn't kick me but, I nearly felt that it looked painful. With that blow Yosuke went down without a fight crumpling on the floor like a used hanky.

"What the!? I can't believe this! It's completely cracked!" Chie shouts as she inspects the DVD she was given. I look over and it is indeed cracked.

"My "Trial of the Dragon"...!" she says...Trial of the dragon? That some sort of action movie?

"I think mine's cracked too...C-Critical hit to the nads..." Yosuke whimpers still on the floor very much still holding his crotch.

"A-Are you all right?" A concerned Yukiko asks him.

"Oh, Yukiko-san...Are you worried about me...?" Yosuke asks as if clinging to a hope that someone as attractive as Yukiko would give a crap about him.

"He's fine, Yukiko. Let's ditch him and go home." Chie says walking out of the class not giving Yosuke a second glance with Yukiko in tow...I look down to a helpless Yosuke before sighing and saying.

"What can I say man...Kharma's a bitch." I say before catching up to the girls leaving Yosuke to the self-pity he deserves...he did run over me after all...He also could have just bought her a replacement copy instead of just bringing the broken one but, what do I know...I ain't a cheapskate unlike him apparently.

The girls were quite a distance aways when I finally caught up to them but, when I saw them there was this weird looking fish-eyed guy with a pale expression and dark-black hair.

"You're Yuki, right? Y-You want to go hang out somewhere?" Whoooaaah back the train up Casanova did he just ask Yukiko out on a date?...The creepiness of this guy is soon extra layered with the way he just said that...it was just...weird...I don't know why but, I'm getting a bad vibe from this guy.

"What...? Wh-Who are you?" Yukiko asks...wait...she doesn't even know him and he's asking her out...that's a stretch even for a lady killer and believe me this guy doesn't resemble much of a lady killer.

"What's up with him? What school's he from?" A student looking at the spectacle before him.

"Never mind that, he's going for Yukiko-san? Man, you'd think he'd at least wait until she's alone to make his move..." Another says...why would he?

"I bet you a can of TaP he gets knocked out. By who? Yukiko? I look towards her and she doesn't look angry but, a bit nervous. I look at Chie then and notice she looks rather guarded with her left lag backed up...oh boy I think I see where this is going.

"No bet. Haven't you heard how difficult the Amagi Challenge is?" Amagi challenge? They saying asking Yukiko out is some sort of competition? The hell kind of people are these?

"Um, s-so...Are you coming or not?" The strange guy asks rather forcibly and aggressively.

"I-I'm not going..." Yukiko says shily looking away...fish eyes however doesn't take that very well.

"W-what do you mean!? There something wrong with me bitch!?" He suddenly yells out. Whoa! his personality certainly took a change.

"W-what?" Yukiko suddenly says stunned clearly at being called a bitch all of a sudden. Chie then loses her cool with her friend being insulted.

"Hey watch it pal what's your deal!?" Chie yells now glaring at fish eyes.

"My deal!? My deal is with this dumb broad not giving a damn about-" It's at this time I've had enough of Mr. Fish-eyes and step in front of the two ladies and separating them from fish eyes glaring at him intimidatingly.

"I think the young lady just told you her answer pal...You should probably leave given the circumstances." I say with my voice even and glare still vicious. He backs up a bit realizing he's a bit outnumbered before glaring again.

"...Fine!" He shouts suddenly before running off...friggin weirdo...Never thought I'd see someone get that worked up over being rejected.

"Th-thanks Kuro-san." Yukiko said thanking me.

"Don't mention it...That guy was creepy as hell." I say pointing out the obvious.

"Wh-What did he want from me...?" She asked still startled over the event...seriously Yukiko...You couldn't tell?

"What did he want...? Obviously, he was asking you out on a date." Chie said reciprocating my thoughts.

"Huh? Really...?"...she had no idea...Is she really that oblivious?

"You really had no clue? Sheesh...But then again, that was way over the top. It was creepy how he called you Yuki all of a sudden." Chie commented on.

"I-I just don't understand why he got all worked all of a sudden." She says clearly still not getting why that guy was very pissed off...I sigh getting ready with an explanation.

"Basically Yukiko-san he got all pissy cause you were putting out." I comment crudely but, honestly in a joking manner. Chie looked a bit surprised at my blunt way of putting the situation but, Yukiko just looked confused.

"...Putting out?" She asks still not getting it. Good God she 'is' clueless!

I simply sigh and huff a "Nevermind". Before wen can leave the school a familiar brown haired student comes up to us with a familiar yellow bike.

"Yo Yukiko-san. Turned down another lovelorn fool huh?" The brown haired student who got kicked in the balls by Chie earlier named Yosuke said.

"Man, you're cruel...You got me the same way last year." He tried asking her out? I can only wonder how that went.

"I don't recall doing that." Yukiko said plainly.

"Damn...she doesn't even remember? That's brutal." I say commenting on how sad that was.

"Whoa, you serious? So then, you wanna hang out sometime?!" Yosuke asked excited and hopefully.

"...I'd rather not." She said a bit hesitantly.

"Two strikes." I comment absentmindedly after hearing Yukiko's response.

"That'll teach me to get my hopes up...Anyways, you two better not pick on the transfer student too much." He said cycling off before I could remind him that he was the one that ran me over earlier...Jackass.

"We're just curious, is all!" Chie shouts in an attempt to correct Yosuke's teasing.

"Eh forget about him, He doesn't have much to stand on seeing as how he 'ran over' the transfer student." I say with spite which earns a bit of a chuckle out of Chie.

"U-Um, I'm sorry for dragging you into this..." Yukiko says shily. Man she's uptight...she seems to apologize for everything.

"C'mon, let's go. Everyone's staring." Chie says trying to urge us to out of the school grounds no doubt to simply bombard me with questions about my past in peace to sate her curiosity...oh boy...I can hardly wait...(Insert Sarcasm here)

...

"So Kuro-kun where exactly are you from?" Chie asks curiously as we walk away from the school with less students around.

"...Tokyo..." I lie...well it's where my foster parents (AKA: Dojima's sister and her husband) would let me live so it's kind of true.

"What about your parents? What do they do? What do you like to do? By the way how co-" Chie kept bombarding me with question after question until Yukiko cut me a break.

"Chie! Slow down a little and give him a little breathing room he can't answer all of them at once." Yukiko said calming her friend's questionnaire.

"Sorry, sorry I just got a little carried away that's al-" Chie starts apologizing before I stop her not really wanting it.

"Save it...I don't mind..." I say a bit forcefully to get the point across. "To answer your questions...My step-parents are the owners of an oil-company...they're practically billionares always traveling to for their work. So I move around a lot in Japan. Tokyo was where I stayed the longest before coming to Inaba." I explain. Before I can answer her last question Chie gives me another.

"Ooooohhh! is that why you don't look or sound Japanese?" She asks bluntly but, curiously.

"Chie! You need to mind your privacy it could be personal!" Yukiko digresses to her friend. I speak up before any apologies are given.

"It's alright I don't mind...Yes it is the reason why...because I'm obviously not related to them." I state rather bluntly.

"So what happened to your real parents?" She asks, without hesitation. I stop walking immediately with the girls walking ahead before stopping to look back. Yukiko glares at her friend as Chie realizes how personal that sounded and looks away from me. The conversation immediately got awkward...

"...I'd rather not talk about that...but, if you really wanna kno-"

"No! no, no it's alright Kuro-san you shouldn't have to answer that I'm sorry...I just got a bit too curious and spoke before I thought." She said apologetically. Damn right you did. But, I bite down the comment.

"...It's alright...But, as far as my parents go...another time...another place." I say plainly...Like I'm gonna even tell them about 'them.' I wouldn't even tell them my cover story for that.

"Why are you so curious about me anyways? I'm just some new guy that happened to be in your class?" I ask wondering for the answer to that. I was a bit surprised as the seemingly shy and uptight Yukiko answered that.

"Were sorry about that. It's just that not many people are in a small town like Inaba and even less new students come to our school." She explained.

"Yeah there's not much to do out here and you coming here will soon be the talk of the town." Chie pitched in...great...unneeded attention.

"So I'm guessing along with it will come a lot of gossip right?" I ask.

"Unfortunately." Yukiko says sadly. I sigh before speaking again.

"Well to get my hobbies out of the way before those are falsified, I like to play a lot of video games in my spare time and write sometimes when I'm in the mood." I answer honestly. This gets their attention.

"Ooooh! You write stories?" Chie asks curiously. Even Yukiko looks to me with clear curiosity in her eyes. I look away a bit emberrased.

"...Sorta yeah...Haven't finished any yet though...except for one but, that's a different story." I lament.

"So Kuro-san are you planning on becoming an author when your older?" Yukiko asks.

"I dunno...I haven't thought that ahead...look how about you tell me about the town I'll be staying in I am new and all." I ask wanting to change the subject.

"Oh! sure...Weeellll...It's the country side so there's really not much here...That's what makes it nice, but there is nothing much we can show to people from outside. Though, there is something from Mt. Yasogami...I think our dyed clothes or pottery or something is kinda famous. Oh wait, and there's the Amagi Inn! Yukiko's family runs it. It's the pride of Inaba!" Chie says with pride in her voice. I'm actually a bit surprised that Yukiko's family runs an inn...Though I just got here so anything is possible.

"Your family runs an inn Yukiko-chan?" I ask wanting clarification. Yukiko doesn't seem that proud of this subject for some reason though.

"Huh? It's...just an old inn." She comments almost absentmindedly. Chie however clearly thinks the opposite as she continues on with praise for the inn.

"No way, it's been in all sorts of magazines as a hidden treasure. It's a great inn! It's been going for generations, and Yukiko here is going to take over someday. Their inn actually attracts a lot of visitors to Inaba. It pretty much keeps this town going." Chie says not faltering in her belief.

"...I don't think that's entirely true." Yukiko says once again low-balling her own inn.

"Yukiko...are you trying to say that the inn sucks or something?" I ask plainly which basically flabbergasts and flusters Yukiko.

"N-no! I didn't say that! I-i mean I'm just saying it's not the greatest in the area! I-i mean look...let's just drop it alright!" She says still clearly flustered...interesting.

"So, Kuro-kun tell me. You think Yukiko's cute, huh?" Chie asks. This time It's my turn to be flustered as I almost choke on my saliva and I can feel my face heat up considerably.

"uggghhhh...w-wh-what was the question?" I ask trying to by time as my brain attempted to come up with an answer to a very personal, direct, and loaded question.

" . Kuro Narukame. Think Yukiko's Cute." She asks slowly with a smile on her face so that I could understand her...I look at Yukiko and she looks horrified and emberrased with her cheeks a rosy red at the sight of her friend basically trying to set her up with me... Dammit Chie! If I say she's cute I'll probably sound like a perv! But, if I say no then It'll be like insulting her!...I mean she does look cute in my opinion but...Ah fuck it.

"Y-y-yeah...I...She is...good looking...and...cute..." I say looking away from them too emberrased to look anyone in the face. I'm making sure I don't choke on my words with my face feeling like it's practically burning up in emberrasment...

"I knew it!" Chie practically shouts in accomplishment in emberrasing the both of us.

"Come on...Don't start this again..." Yukiko says pleading with her friend to stop emberrasing her...alas it seems as though Chie is just getting started.

"She's really popular at school, but she's never had a boyfriend. Kinda weird, huh?" Chie says clearly making a not so sublte gesture at setting her friend up with me. I mean Jesus I just got here and we barely know each other!

"C-Come on, stop it. Y-You shouldn't believe that, okay? It's not true that I'm popular or that I've never had a boyfriend! Wait, n-no! What I meant to say was, I don't need a boyfriend! Geez...Chie!" Yukiko says still flustered and stumbling over an explanation.

"Hahaha! Sorry, I'm sorry. But this is our chance to talk to someone from the big city, and you barely said a word!" Chie exclaims with glee at entertainment of the situation...I scowl and wonder how she would like...An idea comes to mind and for the first time in the conversation...I smirk.  
"Well then I guess if you want us to speak up a bit then I guess you wouldn't mind me saying that your not too bad looking yourself Chie-chan." I say calmly and plainly but, it clearly has it's effect as she whirls to me with her face as red as a tomato at a loss of words at what I just said...my smirk turns into a grin at her expression.

"W-w-w...Huh!?" she stutters still at a loss of words. My grin remains with the tables turned and I don't let up.

"I mean you talk about how good looking Yukiko is but, I'd be lying if I said you weren't cute yourself." I say smoothly with an air of teasing in my words as I shrug at them and her face gets more red than I thought possible.

"Y-y-your just saying that!...r-right!?" Chie says confused at whether I'm telling the truth or not.

"Chie...Why are you so red?" Yukiko asks her friend curiously.

"W-well how should I react!? I mean ugghhh...Kuro-kun...do you...really think I'm cute?" She says her face even more red. I shrug again and say.

"Maybe...Maybe not." I tease her wanting to see her squirm a bit more.

"Sheesh! A-Aren't you cheeky!" She says with indignation. "I-I mean y-you can't just go around saying stuff like that around girls an-...huh? Whats that over there?" Chie comments suddenly at a scene not too far from us and around the corner. Our conversation is soon forgotten and our attention is given too a crowd of people in front of what seems to be a crime scene.

"So as that High Schooler left early, and as she came down that street." A housewife says.

"Wow. Who could imagine that hanging from an antenna? I wanted to see it too."

"Uh, you got here too late...The police and fire department took it down just a moment ago."

"Well, I think it's terrifying. I can't believe a dead body showed up around here..."  
All the different voices of several people tell a very similiar tale that sends chills down my spine...a dead body...hanging from an antannae.

"Wait...What did she just say? A dead body!?" Chie says horrified and shocked. I look to Yukiko and she looks several shades more pale. At a loss for words...Me? I wanted to get out of there ASAP...me and crime scenes don't go well together. But before I can suggest to leave were stopped by a familiar man...A man that just happens to be my guardian...Ryotaro Dojima. He makes his way over with a scowl on his face.

"Hey, what're you doing here Kuro?" Dojima asks me questioningly...shit I nearly forgot that Dojima was a police detective of course he would be here! I don't panic but, stay calm with a straight face and give him an answer.

"We're just passing by Dojima-san." I say plainly. He looks suspiciously at me before buying our mostly true story.

"Huh...I should have figured that'd happen. That damn principal. We told him not to let them through here..." He says with annoyed expression.

"...You know this guy?" Chie asks curiously. I simply nod.

"I'm Detective Dojima, his guardian. Uhh...Well, how should I say this...I hope you get along with him. But you three really ought to stop wandering around and head straight home."

"No problem here." I say as I'm about to lead the way out of here before a man in a suit and tie rushes by us holding his mouth making a gagging noise.

"Ngh..UUUUuuuurrgh!" Aaaand the said man pukes his guts out a ways away...disgusting.

"Adachi! How long are you going to act like a rookie? You want to be sent back to the central office!?" Dojima roars very pissed off at the man I assume is his partner...I cringe and take a step back from him...Note to self...never piss off Dojima.

"I-I'm sorry...Nngh..."The said man named Adachi groans...I get a look at Adachi and he's a bit taller than me from what I can tell. He Dark Messy hair with a young expression on his face...however I can tell if he's a detective he must be older than he looks.

"Go wash your face. We're gonna go around and gather information!" Dojima exclaims as he storms off...yeah never piss the guy off...If I do that I may live longer.

"Was this what that announcement was about...?" Chie asks.

"What do they mean...it was hanging from the antenna...?" Yukiko asks as if she's dreading the answer.

"Hey, Yukiko...? Why don't we go to Junes some other time?" Chie suggests clearly talking about the supermarket I heard about on that commercial from yesterday.

"Good idea..." Yukiko exclaims clearly happy about the suggestion

Alright then, we're taking off. We'll see you tomorrow Kuro-kun!" I numbly nod as they take off wanting to clearly get away from the crime scene as I head home myself...The word about the murder on my mind...I just can't seem to get a break from chaos can I?

...

It's late at night when I reach the Dojima residence due to heavy amounts of people rushing by me trying to see the crime scene but, I made it to my new home regardless. I stretch my back for a bit grumbling about the pains there but, I eventually sit down at the living room table to see Nanako watching the news with curiosity. When I begin to pay attention to the news I can see they're talking about the murder earlier today...it seems in this small town word travels as fast as gossip.

"I wonder if Dad's not coming home again tonight..." The young Nanako laments with sadness in her voice.

"...Whelp...He is a police officer..." I say simply to confirm her suspicion which only seems to depress her...oh well.

"Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quiet suburb. Around noon today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba." The TV declares. Yup...definitely the murder. The TV continues. The deceased has been identified as Ms. Mayumi Yamano, a 27-year-old announcer at the local television station." My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets at the name! That's the women who had that affair with the secretary! Is this some sort of revenge thing!?

"Ah! The Inaba Police Department! Th-That's where dad works!" Nanako exclaims dismayed...She looks more dejected at the thought of her Dad being in danger...Jeez I know it's dangerous but, he clearly isn't new to this...she should have more faith in him.

"Eh don't worry...He seems like he can take of himself." I say dissmisively.

" ...I know. That's his job, so this stuff happens." Nanako says relaxing a bit but, still on edge.

"The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. With the cause of death also uncertain, police continue to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide. A thick fog common to the area has slowed their progress, and plans to fully canvass the area are delayed until tomorrow." The news station says continuing it's report.

"They found her on the roof? That's scary..." Nanako says clearly in fear...I don't know Nanako all that much but,...still...Someone her age...she shouldn't be listening to this. As if there's a God in this world a commercial comes with a familiar announcement Which Nanako readily points out.

"Oh, it's Junes!" Nanako says with joy. Her mood making a 180 as the commercial continued.

"At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!" The TV said with that familiar tune. Which Nanako gladly mimicked a second time.

"~Every day's great at your Junes!~" She sings along happily. For some reason a small smile tugs at the edge of my mouth...It seems like her happiness is somewhat contagious. However as soon as she's done singing she looks at me...I cock an eyebrow wondering what she wants.

"It's your turn now." She says expectantly...

"...I don't sing." I say plainly...she then pouts with her eyes shimmering sadly.

"Please." She says with an adorable pouting face and puppy dog eyes...dammit! She was trying to guilt me into doing it...and it's working!...I sigh.

"~Every day's great at your Junes~" I sing-song back now blushing a little at doing such a childish thing.

"You memorized it already? I'm the best one in my class!" She says happily and childishly as she cointinues to sing the melody over and over again...great she's adorable and she knows it to get people to sing a catchy supermarket tune...just what I needed...despite that she seems to have forgotten all about the murder...I suppose that in itself is a good thing...kids...they seem so innocent..and they are...however when they get to around my age...the develop more...and become...more tainted...I sigh before getting up and heading up stairs...

"Where are you going?" Nanako asks suddenly as if dissapionted I'm leaving...why would she be? She hardly knows me.

"Bed..." I say as I continue upwards...The murder is still on my mind...I can't help but, think of another one...in a different life...dammit...can't think about that...sleep...I'll sleep that memory off...

...However...no matter how hard I try that night...my dreams are plagued with that night...It's gonna be a long year...

A/N: Again please oh please comment, review, or whatever my story so I can get feedback on the things I do right or wrong. I would very much love to get better for all of you loyal readers out there.

PS: I don't own Persona or any of the characters besides Kuro.


	4. Chapter 4: The midnight channel

A/N

Persona Road to Redemption: The Midnight channel

Yosuke POV:

'crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!' Thought Yosuke as he sped down the streets of Inaba towards his school with it once again raining making it hard to control his bike.

'Dammit! of all the luck! It just had to rain again didn't it!? And of course I still don't have enough money for my motorcycle. Hell! I've even put in overtime at Junes and I still have nowhere near the amount!' He complained inwardly to himself as he nearly missed a turn he had to make.

'And of course that means I have to keep riding this piece of crap bike! Enduring cuts, bruises and, crashes until I scrounge the money I need to spare myself of all th-OH CRAP!' Yosuke thought to himself as he realized as he was about to crash into another student like yesterday and in a vain attempt tried turning the handlebar so he wouldn't cause another accident.

The bike and wet weather had another idea in mind.

Yosuke's bike was skidding sideways as he rammed right into the back of the student causing the said poor sod to face-plant onto concrete while Yosuke himself went soaring over his latest victim and into someone's set out garbage. Lodging himself face first inside of a garbage can causing him to be efficiently stuck as half of his upper body was now stuck inside.

The said student who he ran over was no other than the same man he ran over yesterday.

Kuro Narukame.

And of course like last time Kuro was pissed as he had a good feeling of what just happened to him as he raced his now even more cut up face from the pavement as he groggily took in his surroundings.

"-other fucker." Kuro groaned and swore to himself as he scraped himself from the ground while winced when he felt the pain in his knees, arms, face...all of which were the only things that broke his fall.

"Help me!" Kuro heard as he looked in the direction of the plea and saw someone rolling around with the upper part of their body stuck in a garbage can rolling around in a desperate attempt to get out. Kuro didn't need to be much of a detective to figure it out since he saw a familiar yellow, beat up bike not too far from him.

'..I should just leave the tool.' Kuro thought to himself darkly as he glared at the same guy who he specifically told not too long ago to watch where he was going. He was about to leave when a thought struck him.

'Does he deserve it?' He suddenly thought...As Kuro thought about it the guy did run him over...Yosugay...or Yosuke...was his name right? Obviously not on purpose but, still...he seemed cheap...cheap enough not to buy someone a replacement dvd for one that he broke...one that he borrowed...Still...He didn't seem like he did it on purpose...if anything he just seemed like your average wrong place wrong time kind of guy.

Kuro sighed and swore this time in English.

And made his way over the unfortunate young man that ran him over...twice. Kuro grabbed Yosuke's legs to successfully jerk, and drag him out of the trash can.

After dusting himself off thanking to whatever Gods existed that the trash can was empty Yosuke looked up to his unlikely savior.

"Whew, you saved me. Thanks! Umm..." Yosuke look of being pleased turned to one of slight shock and horror as he realized the guy who just saved him was the guy he ran over yesterday...and just a few minutes ago.

"Oh crap! Y-your that transfer student I ran over yesterday! Kuro Narukame!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"And just a few minutes ago." Kuro all too grudgingly clarified. Again Yosuke's eyes widened in shock as he understood what the Kuro implied

"J-just a few minutes ago-!? O-Oh crap! Dude I am so sorry! I lost control of my bike again cause of the rain an-

"And you just happened to hit the same guy twice in two days huh? Yeah. Pretty frickin interesting don't you think?" Kuro spat. A tad bit too pissed to care whether he did it on purpose or not.

"Look dude like I said I'm sorry I'll even make it up to you and...oh crap dude you bleeding!" Yosuke exclaimed as Kuro put a hand on his forehead to see quite a bit of blood on it...Kuro was indeed bleeding. Before growl or glare at Yosuke in frustration the said man he was pissed at gave him a hankerchief.

"Here. I know it's not much but, We can't really let it flow...like I said man I'm really sorry about running into you...y'know...twice...I promise that I'll make it up to you in the best way possible." Yosuke said apologizing in the best ways made possible not wanting to stay on bad terms with the transfer student. Kuro looked at the handkerchief before sighing and placing it on his forehead.

'Me and my damn conscious.' Kuro angrily thought to himself as he tried and successfully stomped down some of his boiling frustration at and anger at Yosuke.

"It happens again...well let me put it this way...fool me once shame on you...Fool me twice shame on me...fool me three times...I'll make sure the pain you suffer is equivalent to mine." Kuro said that last part with one of the most vicious glares and tones he could have ever witnessed effectively sending shivers down his spine and causing him to back up a bit from the still obvious livid foreign exchange student.

"Point taken." Yosuke said quickly putting his hands up defensively to show he had gotten the point. Kuro then dropped the glare before moving away from the cycling student to the school.

"W-wait dude! Let me give you a lift!" Yosuke offered after getting his bike back up. Kuro simply gave him a look of disbelief.

"...You want to give me a ride...on that thing?" Kuro clarified pointing at the yellow beat up bike that Yosuke had run him over with twice. Yosuke sighed but, continued talking.

"Look dude let me pay you back for helping me by getting you to school on time, we'll make it if we cycle there." Yosuke once again offered. Kuro simply scoffed however.

"Please! Like I need your crap bike to make it to school. I can ju-!" Kuro was about to tell Yosuke he could make it to school no problem...however it turns out there was a problem. Yesterday he only woke up on time due to his nightmare and the smell of breakfast. Tonight he set his phone to wake him up. What he just realized however was that he accidently set it to the wrong time and had fifteen minutes exactly to make it to class. Nowhere near the amount of time he would need to make it in time!

"...You think you can not only fit two people on that thing but, also make it there without crashing?" Kuro inquired changing his mind completely on his options.

"I can't promise anything but, it's better than the alternative don't you think? I mean you heard King Moron right? Your already on his shit list." Yosuke reminded Kuro. Kuro once again swore in English before making his way to his bike.

"Alright. You help us make it here on time and we'll call it even. Deal?" Kuro proposed. Yosuke simply grinned that he was able to get on new guy's good side.

"Deal!" Yosuke said before positioning himself on his bike to make room for Kuro.

"Let's just hope no one sees us like this so no more rumors than usual are spread." Kuro grumbled as he reluctantly sat behind Yosuke and grabbed his waist. Yosuke immediately had a feeling of dread at Kuro's implications but, sucked it up.

"Yeah no kidding." Yosuke said before cycling with a bit of struggle with the added weight.

...  
Kuro POV

"NO, NO, NO! TO THE LEFT YOU IDIOT! WE'RE GOING TO CR-

*CRASH*

Kuro's words of warning were in vain as Yosuke, going at too high a speed and at too much of an angle. Yosuke and Kuro went cycling right into a the corner entrance wall which caused the front of the bike to nose dive with both passengers falling forward on top of each other in a heap.

"..."

"..."

"Yosuke?" Kuro inquired

"...Yeah?" Yosuke responded

"Do yourself a favor...and trash that piece of shit." Kuro advised as he scraped himself off of Yosuke and limped his way to class hopefully on time. Yosuke sighed and grumbled getting himself off the ground as well wishing to the Gods once more for a higher raise at Junes before grudgingly hooking his yellow death trap to bike stand and following Kuro to class not a moment too soon.

...

As Kuro and Yosuke limped their way to their homeroom and flopped down in their seats as fast as their battered bodies would take them without Morooka noticing them, they each sighed in relief as their very vocal teacher was too busy giving another tirade to notice them.

"Be quiet, you idiots!" Morooka shouted. You guys ARE in high school, aren't you? Can't you shut up during class? Don't you have any common sense? First of all, my job is to waste my precious time teaching you assholes philosophy! And since I'm so nice...I'll straighten up your rotten attitudes while you're at it! Aren't you honored!? And I'll be going especially hard on any of you moron's that're curious about the murder! Got it!? Now, get your books out!" He bellowed.

Everyone got their books even Kuro. However unlike everyone else Kuro propped his book up, hid his head behind it and closed his eyes into a half asleep slumber for the most of class not seeing the point in listening to 'King Moron.'

...

As Kuro wakes up from his subconscious rest when class ends he witnesses the sight of Yosuke standing next to him.

"Damn dude! I saw you the whole time! How did you sleep through the entire class without getting caught!?" Yosuke asks impressed.

"...Lots of practice." Kuro simply states rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"So Kuro-kun tell me. You getting used to this place?" Yosuke asked Kuro. Kuro looked away from him to actually think about the answer.

"I've been run over twice...My homeroom teacher is a conceited ass...Also the local crazy hangman's deaths factor is a bit steep...does that answer your question?" Kuro added a bit sarcastically.

"Huh...I guess your never really gonna let that whole bike thing go huh?" Yosuke asked with Kuro simply raising an eyebrow in response. "But, I totally get you mean about that murder yesterday. I mean dangling a dead body from an antennae...that's just messed up." Yosuke said sadly. "Then again, it's pretty messed up to kill someone in the first place." Yosuke added with a grimace which suddenly caused Kuro to widen his eyes and look away from Yosuke...which didn't go unnoticed by the said boy.

"...Yeah...no kidding..." Kuro stated hesitantly.

"But, hey! Don't let some random murder get you down! I mean sure, there isn't much to do here compared to the big city, but there is that certain...something you can't get anywhere else. The air's clean, the food's great...Oh, you know about the local delicacy?" Yosuke asked as if he thought Kuro knew the answer.

"...Pot?" Kuro asked seriously. Yosuke gagged a bit in surprise with the comment.

"No! Where the hell did that come from!? Do I look like a drug dealer to you!?" Yosuke asked frantically wondering where the hell drugs came into this.

"...Nah. On second thought you'd be a terrible one...you'd be to easy to bust." Kuro simply stated. Yosuke was still trying to wrap his head around this guy's logic about him being called a drug dealer by someone.

"For crying out loud it's Steak dude! Not drugs! Steak! Food!" Yosuke tried clarifying to the utmost of his ability. However what he didn't realize however was he didn't need to convince Kuro anymore after the mention of the word steak.

"Didyoujustsaysteak!?" Kuro suddenly said, eyes wide open with actual interest instead of the usual stoicism.

"Yeah man! I know a place where you can get it cheap. Wanna come? You helped me out this morning, and I did run you over-

"Twice." Kuro clarified.

"Yeah twice, whatever. But, seriously dude the steak is on me." Yosuke offered to the now salivating transfer student. Kuro had been dying to have some good ol juicy steak since leaving the hospital 'And' he could mouche it from someone else. How could he say no?

"Okay. Do this and this time I will seriously call it even. I'm serious I will no longer mention your attempts at murdering me if you can hook me up!" Kuro said now excitedly as he could already imagine himself digging into beefy goodness to come.

"Did somebody say steak?" A madam named Chie Satonaka declared inserting herself in Yosuke and Kuro's conversation. "I mean you do owe me after all. Remember my "Trial of the Dragon." She all too gladly pointed out to the now annoyed Yosuke about how he cracked the DVD he borrowed from her.

"Urgh...You always come around when I'm talking about food..." Yosuke complained. Kuro just rolled his eyes seeing how Yosuke should have already bought a damn replacement DVD by now if he really wanted her off his back about that. Maybe then he wouldn't have received a critical hit to the nads the other day.

"How about it, Yukiko? Don't you think he should treat us, too?" Chie offered her cardigan sweater wearing friend to the free-loader train.

"I'll pass...I don't want to gain any more weight. I need to help out at the inn today, anyway."

'"Any more" weight!? Tch...women these days always worrying about their weight. She looks like if she loses any more she'll look like a pair of sticks slapped together!' Kuro thought to himself.

"Wow, Yukiko-san! You started training to take over the family business?" Yosuke asked.

" It's not like that! I'm just helping out when it gets busy." Yukiko pointed out hastily. Kuro could swear that every time Yukiko mentioned the inn she gets all fidgety and defensive...Kuro could only assume it to be a personal thing. "Well, I should be on my way." She declared before taking her leave.

"Oh well. We should get going too." Chie declared.

"Huh? Do I seriously have to treat two people?" Yosuke asked in disbelief.

"Fraid so Yosuke. Fraid so." Kuro said shrugging his shoulders not paying much mind to Yosuke's predicament.

...

(At the Junes food court)

"THIS is the cheap place you were talking about...? They don't have grilled steak here." Chie complained.

"...They don't?...Awwww." Kuro said sadly that his quest to eat steak again had been delayed.

"Yeah, well, once you hopped on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans." Yosuke claimed. Kuro however relented.

"That's no excuse! I wanted steak dammit!" Kuro whined banging his fists on the table dramatically. Chie joined in.

"Yeah! That's no reason to take us to your place." Chie said also banging her fists on the table with Rick in annoyance. The last comment however caught Kuro's attention.

"Your place?" Kuro inquired before looking around the food court not quite understanding what Chie meant.

"Dude, this isn't my place or anything. Oh, right, I haven't told you yet, huh? I moved here from another city about six months back. This location just opened up, and my dad was assigned to manage it. So our entire family came out here." Yosuke explained.

"Ahhh I get it...so that basically makes the prince of this place right?" Kuro guessed snapping his fingers at the last part. Yosuke just scoffed however.

"Psh! Yeah right. Like I actually have any power here..." Yosuke then however began to scratch his chin as if he realized something before smirking. "Well I guess you could say I have some influence here over who gets hired and fired, since most of our employees are students from our high school...You could say I'm one of the powers that be." Yosuke added with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Wow...glad I don't work for you." Kuro said bluntly.

"Oh come on! I mean I'm not that bad." Yosuke said putting his hands up defensively.

"Suurrrre you aren't." Kuro said skeptically. "Says the guy who ran me over twice." Kuro added. This caught Chie's attention.

"Yosuke you ran him over again!? What is wrong with you!?" She asked angrily.

"W-wait a minute! I-it was on accident! And dude! I thought we agreed you were never gonna mention that!" Yosuke said frantically.

"I agreed to drop it if you got me steak...and as you can see I see no steak...The deal is off until then." Kuro said folding his arms. Yosuke sighed.

"Man you can hold a grudge. Look like I told you before I didn't do it on purpose. And I still got you something on me!" Yosuke said trying to turn the situation around. He raised a styrafome cup. "Here, this is to welcome you to town." He said trying to change the subject. It didn't work much.

"One hell of a welcome if you ask me." Kuro said grabbing his own styrafome soda cup.

"Satonaka, yours is on me too." Yosuke said to the short-haired girl trying to calm her down so she wouldn't hit him like yesterday. Chie sighed.

"Yeah I know." She grumbled. Kuro then prompted to reach into the small ball-like brown pieces of food that Yosuke bought squinting at it...not exactly knowing what it was.

"...The hell is this anyways?" Kuro asks not sure if he should put it in his mouth or not due to him being quite a picky eater.

"Huh that's just Takoyaki man. Trust me its good." Yosuke reassured. Kuro however was still skeptical.

"...and what exactly is Takoyaki?" Kuro asked still wanting to know. This time Chie cut in.

"Relax Kuro-san, Yosuke isn't SO bad that he would try and poison you. It's just bits of octopus." She reassured him

"So bad? Your acting as if I'm just bad to begin with!" Yosuke exclaimed dismayed.

"Need I remind about my "Trial of the Dragon?" Chie reminded him. Yosuke sighed.

"MMmmmMM! Why the hell didn't you say it was octopus? This is friggin great!" Kuro exclaimed reaching for another ball of Takoyaki. "Can you get this stuff anywhere or just here at Junes?" Kuro asked enjoying more balls of takoyaki.

"Yeah there aren't many places that sell stuff like this. Usually you would get certain items from the shopping district but, It's only been half a year since this place opened up, and I haven't been to the local shopping district much since. It's just more convenient to get stuff at Junes." Chie explained.

"A lot of stores there started closing, and...Oh, uh..." Chie stopped herself as she looked at a now frowning Yosuke. Even Kuro stopped eating when he noticed this.

"...You can't blame it all on Junes, can you? Hey...It's Saki-senpai! Sorry, be right back." Yosuke exclaimed before running off to a long, silver haired, young teenager wearing a Junes apron.

"...Huh...She's kinda hot...She Yosuke's Girlfriend?" Kuro asked bluntly with his mouth full of the octopus bits.

"Haha, he wishes." Chie laughed. "that's Saki Konishi. Her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district...I think she's working here part-time, though." Chie lamented

"The shopping district is struggling which is where her parents work and yet she works at Junes? I'm sure her family just loves that." Kuro commented as he looked on to the pair talking a distance away at another table. Speaking of the pair. Kuro spotted the Saki starting to walk towards their general direction with Yosuke not far behind.

"Are you the new transfer student? Oh did you hear about me already?" Saki inquired Kuro now standing in front of him. Kuro amused by her interest in him decided to make a good impression.

"Kuro Narukame. Pleased to make your acquaintance miss Konishi." Kuro said now standing up and shaking her hand. Speaking very formally not to be gentlemanly but, for his own amusement.

"My what a gentlemen! You should teach Hana-chan a thing or two about manners." Saki added with a giggle.

"Hey, I resent that! I can be gentlemanly too...just not all the time." Yosuke commented.

"It must be nice to have someone else from the big city to talk to, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much." Saki said.

"Uh-Not necessarily..." Yosuke said scratching the back of his head, but Saki continued.

"He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you get along good. Hana-chan's a good guy, but he can get nosy sometimes. You gotta tell him right to his face when he starts to annoy you." She advised Kuro.

"Oh trust me I do, I do. However even though he can be a bit of a slacker and a clutz, proof of that being that he's run me over with his bike...twice in the two days I've been here." I said before Yosuke interrupted with a sigh.

"Your never gonna let that go are you?" He asked Kuro.

"Not until I see me some steak...Anyways the point is that despite all of that I can tell he's a nice guy that means well and I can tell if you look past all the crap I just mentioned he's really a great guy." Kuro said finally finishing basically what he thought of Yosuke.

"Wow...I don't know if I should feel complemented or insulted." Yosuke said after Kuro's speech on him.

"Both." Kuro simply stated. "So yeah. Turns out the guy can be great company if he tries." Kuro said this time complimenting Yosuke.

"Ahaha, I know...I'm just kidding." She said. For some reason though Kuro couldn't tell if Saki was being serious just now or she really was kidding. He wasn't that good into looking for tells when it came to people so he just gave up and thought nothing of it.

"C-C'mon, Senpai. There's no need to worry about something like that." Yosuke said rushingly as if to delay his concerns.

"Well, my break's just about over. Back to work I go...Laters!" Saki declared before taking her leave.

"Oh, uh, Senpai...!" Yosuke called digging for something in his pockets before realizing she'd already left. He then sighed sitting back down at the table.

"Hahah, Saki-senpai says I'm annoying, but she's even nosier than I am." Yosuke commented with Kuro believing him due to how she wanted to see him so bad when he heard he was here. To Kuro she seemed like on of those rumor loving students who pounced on gossipy information.

"She has a younger brother, and she treats me pretty much the same way..." Yosuke continued on.

"Ohhh, you don't want her treating you like a brother, huh? Haha, I get it...So that's how it is...  
The daughter of a local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain...Hoho, the flame of forbidden love!" Chie teased dramatically with an air of mischief. Kuro decided to join in.

"Seems like we've got ourselves a modern-day Romeo and Juliet ladies and gentlemen! The high prince of Junes having a trist with the more modest princess of the Konishi Liquor store! Oh, the rumors that will run wild!" Kuro said even more dramatically having fun with it all the while with a grin on his face. All of this of course just caused Yosuke to blush and look away.

"What-!? Dude, it's not like that." Yosuke denied but, both Kuro and Chie knew the blush said otherwise.

"Oh reaaaally...Well, I know just the thing to cheer up that lovesick heart. You ever hear of the Midnight Channel?" Chie asked both the boys who just gave looks of confusion.

"...Midnight what-now?" Kuro asked not knowing what Chie was talking about. So she explained.

"You're supposed to look into a TV that's switched off, alone, exactly at midnight on a rainy night. While you're staring at your own image, another person will appear on the screen...And they say that person's your soul mate." She said with an air of mystery...of course the look on both the boys faces told they weren't buying it.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...What? For a second, I thought you were actually going to say something useful...How can you get all excited over such a childish urban legend like that?" Yosuke said dismissing the rumor.

"Childish, huh? You don't believe it, do you!?" Chie asked.

"Why would we? I mean I haven't heard something THIS rediculous since someone suggested to me trying out the bloody Mary curse." Kuro exclaimed.

"Well, it's raining tonight! Let's all try it out-then you'll see!" Chie suggested sticking to her guns.

"Try it out...? Wait, you haven't even tried it yourself!?" Yosuke asked in disbelief.

"Even I have to admit Chie. This sounds ridiculous if even YOU, person who's saying all of this is true hasn't even bothered to try it yourself." Kuro pointed out skeptically with his cynicism showing signs of being brought out. Chie just scoffed at them both and mumbled some that couldn't be heard by either boys.

"All that aside...you know that "incident" yesterday? You guys think it was murder?  
Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around...? Heehee..."Yosuke attempted to chuckily evily but, to Kuro it only came out as one of the goofy-assed laughs he had ever heard.

"If it wasn't murder then I'm dying to know how that announcer lady killed herself while hanging from an antennae." Kuro said sarcastically.

"Sheesh, you two shouldn't joke about stuff like that. Now who's the childish one...? All I'm saying is, you guys better try it out tonight." Chie demanded.

"Why? It's obviously not true. If there's anything I'll gain from this it'll be less sleep." Kuro argued.

"Well you won't know that until you trie. Now wo-! HEY! Where did all the Takoyaki go!?" Chie pointed out at the now empty plate where quite a few balls of takoyaki used to be.

"Huh? No way! There were like thirty of em! How cou-!" Yosuke stopped what he was saying and looked at Kuro suspicously as did Chie once she began putting two and two together.

"...What?" Kuro asked them acting oblivious.

"...Did you eat all of the Takoyaki?" Chie asked him accusingly.

"The Takoyaki that I bought?" Yosuke also interrogated. Kuro's face however remained neutral.

"...Maaaaayyybeee..." Kuro said avoiding eye contact.

"Maybe!? I bought those so that all of us could eat them, not so you could just gorge em down for yourself! And how did you eat them all anyways!? There were like...thirty of those things!" Yosuke shouted angrily at Kuro.

"I may or may not have forgotten to bring a lunch to school...So say if I did...I could have probably been hungry enough to eat them all...Hypothetically speaking of course." Kuro said cryptically to make himself sound slightly innocent...It didn't work.

"Maaan...remind me to learn from Yosuke's mistake and never take you out for lunch." Chie said in disbelief.

"Yeah well he still ain't off the hook for running me over seeing how I still haven't gotten my steak." Kuro noted.

"Man...All that food and you still expect some steak? Your a glutton y'know that?" Yosuke complained. Kuro simply shrugged not really denying that statement.

...

After chatting a bit more with Yosuke and Chie Kuro left the two to go home halfway there he mentally slapped himself as he forgot to ask Yosuke if Junes sold any xbox 360s, or PS3s. Making a note to himself to ask him tomorrow he headed home with sun setting to find a lone Nanako sitting at the living room table looking at interest who was in the doorway only to look dissapointed since it was just Kuro. This of course didn't go unnoticed by the man himself.

"Sup." Kuro greeted after setting his school bag down and sitting at the table.

"...Hi" Nanako said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I'll...go get the dinner ready." She said as she got up and headed into the kitchen. Kuro was about to protest but, decided against not seeing in what that would accomplish. After Nanako got done heating up all the insta-food, and take-out she set it out on the table to eat.

"...enjoy." She said, once again Kuro hearing sadness in her voice.

'...She must really miss her Dad...I don't miss mine though...she may be young but, she needs to learn to suck it up a bit...I mean if her dad wasn't away all the time she wouldn't be eating in the first place.' Kuro thought to himself.

Kuro ate small bits of his food a bit too stuffed from the Takoyaki to gorge himself again and a bit too put off by the silent oppressive atmosphere that was taking place.

"...Relax...He'll be home...I'm sure..." Kuro said attempting to assure the young six year old too bad not to say anything.

"...Yeah." Nanako said, then chewing on her food. Kuro sighed deciding to change the topic.

"Kid's like us shouldn't be eating so much processed food...Do you make anything else for dinner that's organic?" Kuro asked her. The question actually surprised Nanako a bit before answering the question.

"Um...not really...No one really taught me." Nanako said sadly.

"...I see." Kuro simply said.

'First chance I get...I'm gonna buy me some steak tomorrow...Maybe I can get Yosuke to cut me some sort of deal if they sell stuff like that at Junes.' Kuro thought to himself. His train of thought was broken however as the door made a sound of it being open.

"Oh! He's home!" Nanako exclaimed happily with a smile appearing on her for the first time tonight. He was indeed home as Dojima slowly walked his way towards the table towering over us slumped over with his eyes half open and dark bags under them...

'The effect of having the responsibilities of working full time...I can't wait for two years to come by.' Kuro thought to himself sarcastically looking at the exhausted form of Ryotaro Dojima.

"I'm back. Did anything happen while I was out?" Dojima asked tiredly.

"No. You're late again..." Nanako admonished her father.

"I'm sorry...Been busy at work. Can you put the news on for me?" Dojima asked before slumping in his seat clearly happy to be relaxing for once today. Nanako complied her father's request grabbing the remote and switching the channel.

"Next, more details in the developing story on the incident in foggy Inaba." The television announced. "Announcer Mayumi Yamano's dead body was found hanging above a house in this isolated rural town. It is confirmed that Ms. Yamano had been involved in an affair with Taro Namatame, husband of enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi."

'Hmm...basically a rehash of what happened already...First day I come here, someone dies...I hope that's not some omen of what's happened in the past or what will happen while I'm here.' Kuro thought to himself skeptically.

"The police plan to investigate this relationship and question any personnel involved with them. In addition, we now bring you an exclusive interview with the student who found Ms. Yamano's body."

"*sigh* An interview with the kid...? Where the hell did they find her?" Dojima grumbled clearly not pleased by this. Kuro could understand since the police would want to keep this whole thing under wraps as much as possible.

"What went through your mind when you saw it? Could you tell she was Dead? Did you see her face?" reporter of the interview bombarded the girl who found the body with multiple questions that seemed to rattle the poor girl a little.

"U-Umm..." The girl stammered, clearly frazzled by the situation.

'Jesus, lay off the girl...She clearly isn't in the state of mind to be talking to you." Kuro noted. However as soon as he thought that his eyes widened once he got a better look of the girl in the interview. '...why do I get the feeling I've seen her somewhere before?' Kuro thought to himself.

Reporter: Don't you think it's scary that someone was killed on a foggy day?  
Female student: Huh...? She was killed?  
Reporter: Oh, errr...So did you see anyone suspicious around here?  
Female student: No, not really...  
Reporter: We heard that you found it when you left school early. Did you have some personal business to take care of?  
Female student: Huh? That's...

"Lord alive he isn't even letting her answer the damn questions!...! Wait! That hair and that voice!...! THAT'S SAKI KONISHI! The girl I met earlier today at Junes! SHE'S the one who found the body!?" Kuro thought to himself his mouth nearly going ajar coming to this realization.  
"-a tragedy that occurred near the local shopping district. Many store owners are raising concerns about losing customers as a result..."

"Hmph. If they lose more customers, it'll be because you're raising such a stink about it..." Dojima pointed out. Kuro silently agreed. The to him the media whores didn't really give a damn about what happened around them just so long as it would get them more viewers...

'Frickin leeches...they jump on anyone and anything and expose all of their dirty secrets and ruin their lives for "Giving the public what they want"...Bullshit.' Kuro thought angrily to himself.

Commentator: It really is a bizarre case, isn't it? I mean, hanging someone upside down from an antenna...I'd have to say it's a warning or a sign from the culprit.  
Announcer: Yes, but so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime.

"Loads of prank calls, though..." Dojima commented.

Commentator: So the cause of death is still unknown? And they don't have a single suspect yet? Taxpayers' funds are going to a police force who can't even tell if this is an accident or a homicide?

"..." This time Dojima was silent. Whether he didn't have anything to say or was too pissed off to say anything Kuro didn't know. But, it was clear it had struck a nerve.

Announcer: We'll be right back after these messages.  
Commercial: At Junes, every day is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself, and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!

At this Nanako's mood had once again done another 180 and sung that familiar tune.

"~Every day's great at your Junes~" She sang cheerfully. Again Kuro couldn't help but, break into a small subtle smile as it seemed Nanako's happiness was infectious.

"Hey Dad...Can we go to Junes together sometime?...No?" She asked when she got no answer...her only reply though was very audible snoring.

Both kids looked at Dojima to see that he was indeed asleep. Clearly exhausted about from the last few day's events.

"Out like a rock." Kuro commented.

"*sigh* Geez..." Nanako complained with her Dad not being able to give her answer.

"When I go to bed, I'll wake Dad up and tell him to go to his own room." Nanako said grabbing nearby pink blanket and laying to cover her father's sleeping form.

"...aight." Kuro acknowledged before being stopped by Nanako.

"Hey...Kuro-san?" Nanako inquired. "...Could you..maybe take me to Junes sometime?" Nanako asked looking at him almost pleadingly. Kuro however looked at her skeptically.

"...Why?...It's just some supermarket...what's their to be all so excited over?" Kuro asked insensitively dissapointing Nanako.

"...Ok...never mind." She said dejected before sitting at the TV again. Kuro just raised an eyebrow not understanding on how he dissapointed the young six year before retreating to his room upstairs glad for the solitude.

He had a promise to keep up after all.

11:59 PM

The ticking of the clock and the pattering of the pouring rain filled Kuro's room as he put on his boxers and white t-shirt and proceeded to watch his blank TV screen.

'Me and my damn promises...If there's anything I've learned in life it's better not to make em...they always come with a catch or complications...like now...the only thing I'm gaining from this stupid rumor is a lack of sleep.' Kuro thought darkly to himself as he looked to the clock on the upper part of his room. To this moment Kuro doesn't know why he made that promise to Chie. Albeit it won't be that hard to pull off.

'So why am I getting all worked up over it?' He asked himself. He shook these thoughts aside as he looked to the clock...14 seconds till midnight.

He whispered a countdown. "...5...4...3...2...1...nothing." Kuro said finally as he glared at the TV waiting for something to happen...nothing did...Kuro then smirked and scoffed.

"Thought so." Kuro said as he began to turn away from his screen.

The sight of light going off behind stopped him dead in his tracks. He whirled around to see a hazy, fuzzy, image on his screen...a figure on it too fuzzy for him to make out.

"...What...the...fuck?" Kuro didn't know what to think at the moment. His screen was off...yet here was an image on his screen. He looked closer and rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things...but, he swore he could make out a girl on the screen...though he couldn't completely make her out.

"...This?...is this?...My soul mate?" Kuro asked himself as he suddenly felt a piercing sharp pain in his head.

"GAK!" Kuro grunted in pain as he felt his vision swimming and head blurring

I...am thou...

"GRRRGGGUGGGHN" Kuro grunted even louder holding his head in his hands trying bear the pain as a booming voice resonated inside of his head.

Thou art I...

"UGGHHNN..." Kuro groaned once more as the voice boomed even louder.

Thou art the one who opens the door...

Kuro fell on one knee as the pain began to subside leaning against his TV. his hand against the screen...

Or so he thought.

What happened next shook Kuro to his absolute core...when he touched the screen...a white rippling affect appeared on the part that he touched sending shimmers on the TV surface. His eyes went wide and he nearly fell on his ass from shock. One freaky thing after another Kuro thought he was tripping major balls right now.

He touched the screen again but, this time he saw a part of his finger go inside...so he decided to test something out...he put his hand on the screen...only for it to go through it...No his hand didn't break the TV...it went inside it like it was made of water.

"What the in the hell?" Kuro asked feeling himself go numb in shock at what he was seeing. What happened next was even more unexpected. Kuro felt something grab onto the arm inside of the TV and try to pull him inside even more. They succeeded as Kuro's head and shoulder were being dragged inside of it right then and there. In a panic and frenzied state Kuro used his legs against the droor to push himself from the grasp of the television. He felt the grip let him go and he went flying back and head first against the table in his room causing him to black out.

...

...?

"ugh...wh...what the hell...where am I?" Kuro asked. The last thing he remembered was the TV...sucking him in.

"...that sounded weird..." Kuro commented wondering if it was just a dream...However Kuro immediately took in his surroundings. Looking around himself Kuro realized he was in a darkly lit room with a chandelier hanging lowly next to him with a coffee table to his left, stairs to his right a kitchen to his front. He looked behind and there was a door that led somewhere he didn't exactly know where.

"YEEEEEEEEK!" He heard a female voice shreek piercing his ears. He figured the same came from the kitchen as he rounded the corner towards to see a gruesome sight. In front of him was a women with long black hair that reached the small of her back on her backside sitting up in shock and horror. In front of her layed the corpse of a middle-aged man with dark skin corpse...standing over the corpse was a boy...who looked in his young teens...holding a cleaver...he had short nearly-buzz cut black hair...his face young, tan...eyes deep dark, brown, cold...filled with a certain kind of hatred...and empty. The cleaver he held was blood-stained.

The women then whimpered something that Kuro couldn't quite make out. However he could hear the young man holding the cleaver just fine.

"...I don't give a damn about blood relation...Why should I? If we share the same blood does that automatically mean I should love you?...I think not..." The boy began to move his cleaver however everything began to fade to black before Kuro could witness what happened next.

...

Kuro's eyes burst open and immediately he found himself shivering, shaking, and covered in sweat...A cold sweat.

"W-wh-what the fuck was that?" Kuro muttered to himself still wide eyed at what he had just seen...he looked to the TV...it was blank..

"Ma-...Maybe it was all a dream?" He asked himself hopeful that it was all one big nightmare.

"Are you okay?" He heard a concerned Nanako ask from downstairs. A bit surprised that she had called him he quickly fumbled with a response.

"I-I'm fine!" He called out.

"I heard a really loud noise...Well, good night." He heard Nanako say again before she went back to bed.

"..." Kuro not wanting to take any chances to see if it was a dream or not...stood up...raised his hand up to the TV screen...and quickly retracted it as it went through it like water once more...Kuro's eyes widened to the point where he didn't think possible...his mouth agape...this little experiment confirmed something...

What happened earlier was no dream.

Kuro backed away slowly yet surely he realized he wasn't going insane...He fumbled around in his room before he found his futon and sat there...pondering and puzzling...

"...Welp...and here I thought I got away from chaos...How naive of me to think so." He said finally before falling backwards, sighing and trying to steer his thoughts from, his past and from the possibility of his TV trying to eat him alive.


	5. Chapter 5: April 15th Another world

**A/N: **

**For those of you that follow this story I apologize for the delay but, I had finals this week. And let me tell you they were absolutely brutal. Hate finals. Take it from a guy with dissabilities in college you never wanna take that stuff lightly. anyways enough of my bitching you guys came to read story about persona so I'm gonna give it to you. So here you are.**

Road to Redemption: April 14: Another World

It was early in the morning and pouring when Kuro Narukame was walking to school this time with an umbrella held above his head...Last night's events on his mind.

'...Hmm...should I...or shoud I not tell them the part where my TV tried to eat me...Or should I tell them that I saw some women about to get murdered by some crazy looking serial killer...decisions, decisions, decisions...' Kuro pondered to himself wondering how much he should tell his friends last nig-

'...Did I just think to myself that they're my friends?...I barely know em...No...there still just simple aquaintences.' Kuro thought to himself asserting what he should think about the people he found himself hanging out a lot with. He stopped thinking about that for a moment however when one of the said people he was thinking about came rushing at him from behind as he heard there footsteps. It was Chie Satonaka who for some reason was foolishly running through the rain without an umbrella.

"Perfect Timing! Sorry Move over!" She shouted at him as she got "very" close to Kuro to stand under his umbrella. The fact that she stood so close to Kuro made him blush ever so slightly as no girl had stood "this" close to him.

"What? Didn't think to remember to bring your own umbrella or did you like the rain so much you'd rather be doused in it?" That comment of Kuro's got him a rather hard elbow to the ribs which caused him to buckle a bit...Kuro admnonished himself for teasing her after witnessing what she did to Yosuke...lesson from that sight?...She hits hard.

"Jerk! I had my own, but I saw this kung fu movie where they used an umbrella to pull off some sweet moves...And...I accidentally broke mine trying to mimic the movie." Chie added lastly dejected. "By the way...Did you see it?!" Chie asked excitedly.

"As a matter of fact...yes...Yes I did...I have quite the interesting...tale to tell you all in fact." Kuro said after rubbing his elbowed ribs a bit, while reminiscing on how he almost got eaten by his own TV.

"Aha, do tell. But the person it showed...Never mind. I'll save it for when the others are around. We're gonna be late for school." She said. However Chie's cheeks turned to a slight tint of red to Kuro's confusion "Oh...U-Uhh...I-It's kinda awkward to only bring this up now, but...we're pretty close here..." She pointed out. Kuro just raised an eyebrow not completely feeling the awkwardness of the situation. Sure he had to admit that he thought Chie was a bit cute in looks but, he didn't feel shy being near her.

"U-Um, I'm gonna just go ahead and run the rest of the way!" she pointed out as she began to motion from out of Kuro's protective umbrella before he caught her by the arm. This startled her as she looked to Kuro who had his trademark stoic-poker face on.

"Why?" He simply asked.

"Why?...well...I mean aren't you worried about what people will say about you with you standing so close to me?" She asked. Kuro shook his head.

"Don't really care...People can say and believe what they want and it really won't matter to me. Sides...I couldn't just allow you to get soaked when I have the opportunity to keep you dry." Kuro said plainly as he basically yanked Chie back to his side under his umbrella. This startled the said girl but, she didn't refuse.

"Huh...? Are you sure?" Chie asked just to make sure she wasn't hearing things. Kuro just cocked an eyebrow in confusion as if saying. 'Why are you even asking?'

"If you say so then...I guess it's okay. Thanks. Alright, let's go." Chie said thankful walking closely to Kuro to stay dry. Kuro wouldn't admit it to her...but, standing this close to a girl as cute as her, he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it a little.

...

'"zzzzzz" "zzzzzz" "zzzzzz" "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-

"Kuro-kun!" The classes' world history teacher Ms. Sofue called promptly starlting Kuro to nearly fall out of his seat.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Kuro yelled randomly as jumped awake standing up.

"Would you like to tell us the answer to the question I just asked Mr. Narukame?" She asked with annoyed expression at catching Kuro napping in class. Kuro's mind drew a blank as he stood there emberrassed on how he didn't know anything what she just said.

"...I don't know." Kuro said dejectedly hanging his head in shame.

"So you don't know what the time period was called before the death of Jesus Christ?" She asked before Kuro could answer she barked at him to sit back down and warned him if she caught him again he would have to write an essay about why history is so important. Kuro grunted and growled in frustration at being made to look like a fool but, bit his tongue. He already pissed one teacher off he didn't need to piss off another.

"Man that was rough...guess you can't always get away with sleeping in class." Yosuke lamented with Kuro.

"...No shit." Kuro grunted resting his head on his hand scowling all the while hearing giggles and chuckles from other students at his misfortune while agonizingly waiting for class to end.

...

As soon as the bell rang Kuro was all to eager to get out of school.

"Fuckin finally." Kuro groaned. But, as soon as he stood up he was stopped by Yosuke. He groaned once more not in the mood to chat.

"Yo...um..." Yosuke said uneasily not quite finding the words to say what he had to say. Kuro however was quickly growing impatient and letting it show unsubtely.

"What." Kuro nearly barked in annoyance startling Yosuke a bit.

"W-well it's, uh, it's not really that important, but...Well, yesterday on TV, I...Oh, uhh...Never mind. Look, I'll tell you later. Ahaha..." Kuro groaned even louder in frustration.

"For fuck's sake Yosuke! Either tell me whats on your mind or piss off!" He Kuro nearly shouted. This really startled Yosuke.

"W-whoah dude! I didn't mean to catch you in a bad mood but-

"Look...I'm sorry awright?...I...Just haven't had a good morning as you previously witnessed." Kuro pointed out pinching the bridge of his nose. If there's one thing Kuro knew all too well about himself it's that whenever he got in a bad mood it was hard for him to get out of it.

"Hey...what's going on you guys...and Jeez Kuro-san I know the teacher isn't here but, you should really watch your language...the faculty could hear outside." Chie butted in annoying Kuro even further for pointing out the obvious.

"I...know...just drop it alright? What is it that you wanted anyways Yosuke?" Kuro said breathing out his frustrations wanting to get to the point of all of this.

"Well...it's just that from what I've heard...But, there's a rumor going around that Saki-senpai is the one who found the body." Yosuke said finally looking a bit unsure.

"Rumor?...It's a fact. I saw it on the news last night." Kuro pointed shocking both Chie and Yosuke.

"The news? Wait aren't they supposed to censor the person who found to hide their identity!?" Chie asked shocked.

"Yeah what the hell! Kuro-san are you sure about that!" Yosuke asked. Kuro nodded.

"There's no doubt about it...they did censor her but, they did a crappy job at it. You could totally hear her voice...her hair is also kind of hard to miss as well." Kuro pointed out shocking Yosuke.

"Dammit!...no wonder she isn't at school today...she's probably not feeling well after seeing a dead body but, didn't wanted to get pelted with questions about the murder at school." Yosuke pointed out grimly...

'poor bastard really does care for her.' Kuro thought to himself as he looked at Yosuke biting his bottom lip looking worried. However the attention went from Sake to Yukiko who had already packed all of her stuff and looked to be leaving in a hurry.

"Huh? Hey Yukiko, are you helping out at the inn today too?" Chie asked her friend.

"Things are really out of hand right now...I'm sorry." She apologized as she rushed her way hurriedly out of the classroom. Kuro could have sworn he saw a small shade of dark rings under her eyes before she left.

"Is it just me, or does Yukiko-san seem way stressed out today?" Yosuke said pointing out what Kuro was thinking.

"I guess they're running her ragged..." Chie said sadly.

"...Y'know guys...I'm starting to get more and more of the feeling that Yukiko hates working at that inn." Kuro said speaking his mind which surprised both Yosuke and Chie.

"HUH!? No way! Yukiko loves that inn an-" Chie began but, Kuro cut her off

"Did she tell you that?" Kuro asked. At this Chie bit her lip and didn't answer which. In itself answered Kuro's question.

"ugh...by the way did you guys see the TV last night?" Yosuke said trying to steer the topic away from Yukiko's possible dislike for her inn and towards last night's promise.

" Oh yeah! I did! I seriously saw a girl! But...my soulmate's a girl? What's that supposed to mean?" Chie asked confused...

'wait...what?...a girl?...don't tell me." Kuro began thinking to himself. Chie continued.

"I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it was a girl for sure...Her hair was silver, about shoulder length. She was wearing our school uniform, and...-

"Hey...I think that's the same person I saw. I couldn't make out that much detail, though. The image I saw was much blurrier..." Yosuke pointed out.

"And we saw the same girl...? Does that mean...we have the same soulmate?" Chie asked curious.

"How should I know?" Yosuke complained.

"If the person we see on TV is our soulmate...then Chie...doesn't that mean that your techincally a lesbian?" Kuro asked bluntly with a straight face. Yosuke however nearly lost his footing at that comment and Chie not only choked on her own spit in surprise but, her face turned into a massive shade of crimson.

"WH-WHAT THE HELL!? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!?" Chie asked screaming at Kuro mortified at his accusation.

"Whoa! Chie why are you freaking out all of a sudden...wait...You saying my accusation was right on the mark?" Kuro inquired seriously. This only freaked Chie out even more and even Yosuke's mouth was agape at the situation.

"No! I'm not gay! What in the- where is this co-" Once again Kuro cut her off.

"You said it yourself. The person who shows up on the TV at midnight on a rainy night is your soulmate...Yes or no?" Kuro inquired. Chie just looked at Kuro in disbelief her face still red in emberrasment at Kuro's claims. However now Yosuke decided to have some fun as a smirk came to his face.

"Now Chie if you really are in the closet then don't worry. It makes perfect sense given your tomboysih personality and-GAHK!" Yosuke was immediately shut up when Chie swung her right leg right between Yosuke's...and it was effective as he leaned on his desk trying to catch his breath and regain his bearings.

"Say I'm gay one more time! I DARE YOU!" Chie roared now pissed at Yosuke and Kuro...she didn't care if it was a joke or not she was royally pissed now.

"...I'll pass." Kuro said quietly looking at the still leaning Yosuke leaning on the desk and holding his crotch. "Though...I guess at this point it would be overkill for me to say how it would be like some messed up harem if all three of us were soulmates to the same girl." Kuro said. This however caused Chie to snap out of her rage and look take notice of what Kuro said.

"Wait...You saw the same girl too?" Chie asked in disbelief.

"Yup...I also nearly got eaten alive by own TV only being saved by the fact that I couldn't fit inside after hearing some creepy voices in my head talk to me after watching the image on the television." Kuro said with a straight face. Chie then began laughing along with Yosuke who apparently had gotten over getting kicked in the crotch to join in on what they thought was a joke...Kuro just sighed and cocked an eyebrow looking at them annoyed for not believing...then again if someone told 'him' then he would just walk away from the said person who said that and never speak to them again.

"Hahahahaaaah! Oh man that was a goo-...Your not joking are you?" Yosuke said finally after laughing it off a bit. He could tell Kuro was serious with the 'very' serious look he was giving.

"...Do I look like I'm joking?" Kuro asked only further confusing both of them

"...uhhm...is that a rhetorical question?" Chie asked not sure if Kuro was joking or not. Both could hardly tell if Kuro joked about anything because he spoke about everything in a monotone voice most of the time and his face mostly remained stoic and serious looking. It was like playing a guessing game with a proffesional poker game player.

"..." Kuro just pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration at people not really being able to understand the way he talked and acted. Same shit different day in his mind.

"Were you that tired last night? You must've just fallen asleep in front of your TV." Yosuke pointed out. Kuro sighed.

"I may have banged my head last night but, I know what I saw and did...it wasn't a dream." Kuro said immediately regretting the mention about banging his head because that created a big enough hole in claim.

"So you WERE just imagining things! You banged your head and then just imagined it! That'd be one interesting dream, though. I like the part where you got stuck 'cause your TV was too small. That's pretty realistic." Chie said.

"But I!...ah to hell with it." Kuro said throwing his hands up in the air giving up on convincing them...Hell maybe he did just imagine things last night...he did hit his head after all...

'Hell I'm like the prince of cynicism and pessimism...maybe I should just drop it.' He thought to himself.

despite him giving up Chie just woudn't let up. "Man oh man if it had been bigger-" she then stoppped as if an idea just popped in her head and then smiled. "Ohhh, that reminds me. Our family's been talking about buying a bigger TV." Chie pointed changing the topic with Kuro nearly getting eaten by a TV now apparently old news.

"Oh yeah? Well, flatscreen TVs are definitely in these days. Wanna go check 'em out on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month." Yosuke offered.

"Oh, definitely! My parents don't know anything about electronics, and I've just gotta see my kung-fu movies on the big screen! Hwa-taaa!" Chie then shouted getting in a kung-fu stance which caused Kuro to audibly snicker a bit which caused stares by his two friends.

"Huh?...what's so funny?" Chie asked the giggling foreigner.

Man...your just so damn goofy some times Chie." Kuro said bluntly.

"Goofy!? Hey! I'll have you know that if I were to enter a kung-fu class right now I would have earned my black belt within the hour!" She shouted indignantly.

"Allright you two we've got some pretty big ones in stock. I bet they'd be big enough for you to fit into Kuro-san hehe." Yosuke giggled which caused Kuro to stop laughin himself and just looking at the music loving man deadpanned.

"...really?" Kuro said blankly.

"Hey you brought it up not me." Yosuke mocked which just caused Kuro to sigh.

'It's gonna be a long year indeed.' He thought to himself as he and Chie along with Yosuke went to the Junes electronic department to search for a TV.

...

Junes elctronic department store

As the trio of friends went down to the electronic's department they were greeted by all kinds of mostly flat screen televisions, massage chairs, and other such electronics as they made their way to the flat screens.

"Wow, This is huge! A-

"That's what she said." Kuro said quickly with a smirk on his face which earned him an elbow into the ribs by Chie. Even Yosuke had to snicker at that.

"Aaaanyways...Whoa! Holy Crap that's expensive! Who buys something like this?" Chie asked in disbelief after elbowing Kuro in the ribs for his little comment.

"I dunno...Rich folks? Honestly, not many people shop for TVs here. That's why we don't have clerks around." Yosuke explained.

"Huh...Not worth trying then, I guess. Well, at least looking's free." Chie said...however her and Yosuke exchanged glances before nodding and reaching forward and touching the screens to test out one more time on Kuro's theory...of course they proved him wrong when their hand's pressed against the screen.

'Assholes.' Kuro thought darkly to himself as he scowled at being made a fool of right now.

"...Nope, can't get in. Figures." Yosuke pointed out stating the obvious.

"Haha, this proves it. It was all just a dream." Chie said with a shit eating grin pointed right at Kuro who just continued scowling with his arms folded.

'Well obviously the TV wouldn't let any TOTAL JERKS in.' Kuro thought to himself once more.

"I mean unless you want to try it yourself Kuro...y'know...just to make sure" Yosuke said with a teasing grin. Kuro however was not amused.

"Yeah I mean we don't want to you to not be able to sleep at night with this theory of yours. Sides like you said you did hit your head pretty hard so it's alright to imagine these things." Chie taunted back. Kuro was starting to get pissed now gritting and grinding his teeth together.

"Yeah-yeah-yeah! I get it you guys were right and I hit my head to hard! You don't got rub it in like the assholes you are!" Kuro near shouted getting annoyed.

"Sheesh Kuro can't you take a joke? Were just having a bit of fun." Yosuke said trying to calm Kuro down.

"Yeah I mean you don't have to get all mad at us. Your the one who said it happene-" Chie started but, Kuro was having none of it.

"Yeah! I know I did! I can remember what I said. Here! you want me to do it myself just to prove a point!? Here I will!" Kuro said pissed shoving his hand forward only to widen in surprise...as his hand like last night when through the flat screen with a white water-like rippling effect. Proving that he didn't hit his head to hard...it wasn't a dream.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...ugh...I...Told ya so?" Kuro said slowly looking back at the very, very shocked expressions of Yosuke and Chie. The two of them were speechless. Here in front of them was a guy who's hand was inside of a television...not broken through...or smashed through but, it was through the TV...like water.

"I-Is his arm...in the TV...?" Yosuke finally managed to choke out at after getting over his shocked stueper.

"Whoa...Uhhh...Is that some kinda...new model? L-Like with a new function?" Chie asked trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Hell no!" Yosuke denied.

"You gotta be kidding me...Did you really stick your hand through a TV screen!?" Chie asked still in shock and still trying to make sense of this.

"...apparenlty." Kuro said monotonously not really sure how or what he should say at the moment.

"Oh man...This is for real...That's some magic trick, man! So how's it work, huh!? What's the magician's secret!?" Yosuke demanded looking for a sesnsible answer to this.

"I assure you no magic or tricks were involved in this...It just...is kind of ugghh...happening." Kuro mumbled."...hmm...y'know...I think...I might be able to put more than my hand in." Kuro said curiously as he stuck his head inside the television to take a peak. This of course shocked Yosuke and Chie even more.

"H-Hey, Don't do that! What're you doing!?" Yosuke demanded visibly freaking out right now.

"Oh my God!" Chie shouted.  
Neither Yosuke nor Chie knew what to do right now. Here was some guy they've only known for a few days sticking his head through a television. What they thought wasn't physically possible and just thought of as either just a joke or a weird dream by him was turning into a reality.

Kuro on the other hand looking on the other side of the television saw that he could see nothing yet empty space and a lot of fog. He couldn't really tell what he was seeing, as he curiously looked inside the TV.

"Hmmm...Seems like there's a lot of empty space and fog over here!" Kuro called out to them.

"Wh-What do you mean, "over here"!? Yosuke questioned eyes still wide.

"Wh-What do you mean, "empty space"!? Chie then asked herself.

"rrrgh...yeah I can't see much else cause of the fog...it's like a fog-machine itself short circuted and when haywire over here!" Kuro called out.

"Wh-What do you mean by "Fog"!" Yosuke again questioned

"Good God almighty what's going on here!?" Chie near shouted. Yosuke however decided to express his surprise and shock to this all in the most elequent way possible. He began sweating bullets, starting holding his crotch and hopping a little as if his groin was in pain.

"Holy crap...I-I think this is all too much for my bladder!..." Yosuke groaned as he started bending forward in pain.

"What the-? Are you gonna pee your pants!?" Chie shouted in disgust.

"I've been holding it in all day! I-I haven't had a chance to go...Aaarrgh!  
Can't...hold it...anymore!" Yosuke shouted as he ran off to the restrooms...only to run back still holding his groin. "Shit! Customers! They're coming!" He panicked.

"What!? But we've got a guy half stuck in the TV here! Wh-What're we gonna do!?" Chie shouted as she started panicking as well. Both teens looked to the right and saw that there were indeed customers in the area at one of the worst possible times. They weren't looking in there general direction yet. But, that could damn well change on a dime and both of them knew it.

"You guys mind keeping it down back there I'm checking this shit out!" Kuro yelled at them completely oblivious to the situation behind him.

"Oh that's it! I'm pulling him out! If they see him like this how the hell are we gonna explain it!?" She said as she positioned herself behind Kuro, grabbed his waist and began pulling and tugging. Kuro however not knowing what was going on took this the completely wrong way.

"OH MY GOD! WHO THE HELL HIS HUMPING MY ASS!?" Kuro shouted as he just held onto the inside of the television even tighter as Chie just pulled on his waist harder. If you were to just look at the situation that was going on between Yosuke holding his groin and sweating profusely with his face contorted and eyes shut tight, and Chie looking like she was dry humping someone who was part way inside of a TV you wouldn't really what to think at the moment. You could sure as hell come up with some pretty nasty and dirty minded things that's for damn sure.

"Shiiiiiit! I can't hold it anymore! I've gotta-" Yosuke screamed in panic between trying to figure out how to get Kuro out of the TV and feeling like his bladder was about to explode he went into a panicked frenzy like any young minded teenager would. And without looking ran right into Chie who in turn. Rammed up right into Kuro causing a chain reaction of all three of the teenagers falling inside of the TV with him.

"What the!? W-Wai-WHOA!" Yosuke shouted as he fell inside of the TV along with his two other friends right before the said customers he mentioned before looked in there former general direction wondering where all the noise was coming from.

...

After a blurring of black and white lights Kuro and company found themselves scrambling and clawing at nothing falling at a speed none of them could fathom...that was until they crashed onto what they assumed was the floor. Chie landed on her shoulder, Yosuke landed on his ass, while unfortunately for Kuro he landed on the weakest part of his body...his back...which in turn caused the back of his head to hit the ground as well...Kuro's vision was all blurry and disoriented which prompted him to continue laying on the floor. The pain in his back contributed to that as well while Chie and Yosuke quickly got up not suffering the same amount of damage he did.

"Ow, I landed right on my wallet..." Yosuke groaned.

"Man...Where the heck are we?" Chie quickly asked in wonder as everyone took in their surroundings. As the teenagers looked around they could tell that they were on a yellow floor while being surrounded by very thick fog, they could barely see several yards in front of themselves. "What is this place? Somewhere inside Junes?" she asked.

"Hell no it isn't! I mean, we fell through a TV!...Actually, uh...what is going on here?" Yosuke asked in wonder as he then looked down at Kuro who was still laying on the floor with a blank expression on his face. "Hey dude?...why are you still laying on the floor?" Yosuke asked.

"...My back..." Kuro moaned out clearly sounding like he was in pain.

"Your back?...is it in pain?" Yosuke asked again.

"Oh no...it feels better than ever...It feels like I just got a massage down there along with a chyropr-OF COURSE IT'S IN PAIN YOU MORON!" Kuro shouted in frustration instantly regretting doing that as he winced in pain. Yelling like that caused stress in his back which caused him more pain.

"Ok, ok yeesh! calm down dude...well...how bad is it?" Yosuke said calming the messy black haired boy down. Kuro groaned now having a bit of trouble speaking. "...Very bad...Can't get up on my own." Kuro goraned. His back pains had been a constant detriment to his health for two years running now. (Why you may ask? Well you'll have to read the whole story to find out now won't you?)-Helgenrazer.

"Oh man...well here...let me help you up." Chie offered grabbing Kuro's arms as she hoisted him. Kuro nearly fell back down due to his legs being weakened. When his back felt like hell so did his legs.

"Urgggh...landed on it wrong...sss'all." Kuro groaned. Chie and Yosuke both gave looks of sympathy as the said girl wrapped his arm around her shoulder to help support him.

"...Thanks..." Kuro said trying not to lean on her too much.

"So...uh...we're still alive...Right?" Chie said unsure, clearly scared and worried about the situation that she found herself in.

"Welp...My back is screaming in pain...so we must be alive." Kuro groaned.

"I think my butt's cracked now..." Yosuke complained along with Kuro holding onto his backside.

"Of course it is!" Chie shouted at him. However Yosuke's attention wasn't on Chie yelling at him but, his surroundings. "Whoa!" Yosuke shouted in surprise.

"Wh-What now!? Did you wet your pants!?" Chie asked with disgust in her voice.

"No, stupid! Look around!" He shouted indignantly. As soon as Yosuke said that the teens then began to take in their surroundings. There was indeed a lot of fog but, they could see that arround them were television sets, like lights, and camera's and stage settings.

"...The...The hell is this?" Kuro wheezed.

"All this fog...Or is it smoke? There's no place like this in Inaba, is there...?" Chie inquired.

"Hell no...But man...this place is huge..." Yosuke said in disbelief squinting his eyes as if trying to make out what was out in the distance. Kuro sighed when Chie's look got more nervous.

"Relax...I'm sure it's just fog...if it were smoke we'd all probably be choking to death right now." Kuro said. This however didn't calm either teens nerves.

"Geeze I feel so much better after that observation Kuro." Yosuke sneered. Kuro just did an attempted shrug in his position.

"...Just pointing it out." Kuro deadpanned.

"Uh...g-guys...what're we gonna do?" Chie asked with uncertainty and fear evidenlty growing in her voice.

"...Welp...If I was a bettin man...considering the state I'm in we should get out of here as soon as possible." Kuro bluntly noted.

"G-Good plan! Look, we need to get home and-!H-Huh...? Wait a minute...Which way did we come in from? I don't see a way in...or out!" Chie near shouted with her voice on the edge of panic. The teens looked up, left, right, and down and their was indeed no immediate exit to their dismay.

"...Well shit." Kuro complained realizing their predicament.

"What? That can't be right! H-How could that be!?" Yosuke shouted.

"I don't know! Don't ask me! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!" Chie screamed now panicking gripping Kuro's arm tighter causing him discomfurt and thus irritating him. His two companion's shouting and unneeded panicking was also grating on his nerves.

"Okay...so how!?" Yosuke shouted in turn.

"Both of you SHUT THE FUCK UP AND CALM THE HELL DOWN!" Kuro yelled with his deep over bearing voice roaring in intimidation successfully silencing the two panicking teens. "Yelling and bitching at each other isn't gonna help our fucked up situation! So I suggest that you two both shut up before I rip out my damn spine and strangle you both to death with it!" Kuro threatened.

"Okay, Okay, Okay dude! Jeez! Calm down were calm alright!" Yosuke said backing away from a hunched over but, clearly irritated and somehow intimidating Kuro.

"...Yikes...remind me never to piss you off...and can YOU not yell so loud...I'm kind of...right next to you..." Chie winced still holding onto messy haired teen. Kuro sighed.

"Look...if we came in here...then we can get out...there's always an exit to an entrance...we just need to find it alright?...let's all take a deep breath and find it." Kuro explained as calm as he could at the moment.

"..Well...that's true but..." Chie was about to protest but, Kuro just turned his head at her and glared effectively shutting her up. Kuro was thankful for her helping him and all but, the fact that she wasn't getting a grip with this was irritating him to no end.

"Look Chie, Kuro's right. If there's no exit, we're trapped, so let's cross our fingers and look around." Chie just nodded as Yosuke walked ahead towards a path ahead with Chie carrying Kuro in tow. The teens frightened as but, hopeful for an exit.

...

As the trio of teenagers walked aimlessly in the sea of fog...or limped and clinged onto Chie for support in Kuro's case. They found themselves walking on what appeared to be a balcony railing connected to what they guessed were apartment buildings.  
"What is this place?...It feels different from where we were before..." Chie commented with a worried expression.

"It looks like we're in some kinda building, but...Damn, this fog's so thick, I can hardly see." Yosuke said.

"...bluuuurghgh." Kuro garbled out.

"Whoa! Hey Kuro-san! Are you alright!? Chie asked now even more worried for the guy she was supporting.

"...ughn...not really...I'm starting to feel more and more like shit...my heads starting to kill me..." Kuro said reminscing on how the back of his head slammed against the floor when he landed. He'd been in pretty bad shape since then. All this debilitating fog wasn't helping him.

"Hey man hang in there! We'll find a way out just you wait! We've just gotta rely on our instinct that's all!" Yosuke said trying to easce Kuro with a pep talk...Words like that to Kuro however didn't mean much now.

"Whatever man...let's just keep moving before I puke." Kuro groaned out. And on that note Yosuke and Chie quickened their pace to very well avoid that. As the teens made their way farther down the complex they came to a rather bizzar sight. A door with red and black swirling like patterns that were moving slowly and ominously like a portal to another dimension. As if they weren't already in one.

"Ughh...so...What do we do?" Chie asked the question on everyone's mind. They had a very important choice here. They could leave and go back where they came...or go forward into the unkown of where that door went.

"...I say...We go in." Kuro suggested. Chie however digressed.

"What are you crazy!? Did you hit your head that hard!? We don't where that might go!" she shouted.

"But, Chie if we don't go in it we might never know if it was the way out...We have to try and find out." Kuro grumbled while his head was indeed killing him as much as his back was, his thinking process was still sound he was sure. Yosuke nodded in agreement.

"He's right Chie, if we don't take this chance we'll just keep wandering around like chickens with our head cut off...we gotta take the chance!" He said finally now determined walking forward. Kuro urged Chie forward so that he could go as well. She sighed before following in with Yosuke, to their fates.

When Chie and Kuro made it into the room Yosuke was checking his phone most likely to see if he could call for help. Whether Chie and Kuro thought Yosuke could call for help here or not was answered with a sigh.

"No service. What a surprise..." Yosuke said grimly. Kuro sighed.

"Not like I expected to have any in this place...Just makes you wonder even more of where the hell we ar-WHAT THE HELL!" He shouted as he turned his head to the right to see a rather ominous sight. Yosuke and Chie responded to his surprised shout as they turned to look in his direction with expressions of shock and horror on their faces as well.

"The hell is this place!?" Kuro shouted as they looked around them. They were in a room it seemed which lead to a dead end. It was a room with an apartment look of someone who was living here but, the walls her stained with blotches of what they could guess was blood with posters of someone everywhere. They couldn't tell who was on the posters however because the person's face who was on them had been slashed out in every single one. The sight chilled everyone to their bone.

"It keeps getting creepier and creepier the further we go..." Yosuke complained. However he suddenly grimaced as if he were in pain and shouted.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Which nearly caused Chie and Kuro to jump in surprise causing Kuro to nearly fall on from Chie's supportive grip.

"WHAT!? What!? what is it!?" She questioned alarmed of whatever his problem was.

"Aargh! I can't hold it any longer...My bladder's gonna explode...!" Yosuke shouted and as he ran to the corner of the room holding his crotch. Kuro deadpanned.

"Dude...really?...that's what your freaking out over?" Kuro asked annoyed at nearly being scared out of his boots over Yosuke's cowardly yelling over having a full bladder.

"Yosuke!? What're you doing!?" Chie shouted her face scrunched in disgust.

"I gotta let it out before I piss my pants!" He yelled back as his two companions heard an audible zip of his fly signaling he wasn't kidding around. He was really gonna do it!

"You're going here!? Oh, you have got to be kidding..." Chie shouted. Kuro nearly grunted in annoyance.

"Oh he's not kidding...trust me when a man unzips their zipper like THAT they ain't kidding. Just hurry and go already you spaz!" Kuro shouted angrily annoyed and disgusted over this fiasco. The last thing Kuro wanted to see was Yosuke's junk.

"T-Turn around! I can't go if everyone's watching!" Yosuke shouted. Kuro thought this was absolutely rediculous. Not only was Yosuke taking a piss in front of them but, he was so insecure he couldn't go through with it!? He grunted and moaned but, they did indeed turn around but, heard nothing. When they turned back Yosuke had rezipped his fly and faced them clearly still in pain and pissed...pun unintended.

"Aaaaargh...I can't do it! It's all your fault if my bladder bursts!" He accused angrily.  
"Well excuse me if your too shy to piss like a normal human being!" Kuro shouted witch he regretted immediately as he winced in anger due to the strain shouting had on his pounding head.

"Guys stop shouting sheesh!" Chie shouted silencing both arguing males. "Anyways...what's with this room? Check out these posters. Their faces are all cut out...Someone must really hate this person..." Chie said pointing out the slashed out posters on all of the room. Kuro's attention was directed towards something else in the center of the room. something no one else had apparently noticed but, had been worrying him for quite some time.

"...Ugh...Am I the only one who sees the suicide arrangement inside the room?" Kuro asked as his two companions looked in his line of sight to see a chair. under that chair was a scarf tied in a noose hanging on a rope.

"If you ask me...whoever lived in here...clearly was more troubled than the average human being." Kuro commented grimly as his friends looked in horror at the sight.

"Dude...that chair and rope...an arrangement like that is never good. It's tied in a noose...Is this a scarf?" Yosuke asked with dread creeping in his voice. Chie wanted nothing of it however. Of the noose or this room.

"C'mon...Let's go back to where we came from and look somewhere else for an exit..." Everyone had unanimously agreed on that. Kuro was all too ready to leave as he too had a gut wrenching feeling about this room. As they made their way out of the room however Yosuke stopped and looked at one of the posters.

"Hey...I think I've seen that poster before..." Yosuke commented squinting at one of the said posters. Kuro looked at them as well wondering what Yosuke was talking about...!

'Huh...I feel like I've seen the outfit that person's wearing before...not the poster but, the person..I think it's a she...but, I can't put my finger on it.' Kuro thought to himself. However he and Yosuke's pondering were interrupted by a worrying Chie.

"Who CARES!? Let's go! I am sick of this place!" She shouted urging them on forcefully. However she soon grimaced and frowned. "And I'm not feeling so good..." She said. Kuro looked at her since he was closest, and she indeed looked pale.

"Is it cause your carrying me around so much?" He asked. but, she shook her head.

"Actually now that you mention it, me too...I'm starting feel like crud..." Yosuke added. he was looking pale as well. Kuro himself didn't feel all too great but, he blamed most of that on his possible concussion and messed up back. But, then again at this point anything was possible.

"Alright, let's go back. I'm seriously starting to feel sick..." Yosuke urged as the group made their way out hopefully to back to whence they came.

...

As the trio of lost, sick, and scared teens wondered through the fog in hopes of finding the place they were first in the fog was becoming thicker, and thicker too the point where they could hardly see each other.

"Uhhhh...guys are you sure this is the right way?" Chie asked scared at the possibility of them losing their way. Yosuke threw Kuro a worried glance at Kuro who was still hanging on Chie for support. Kuro just half-heartedly shrugged his shoulders, gesturing to Yosuke that he had no idea where to go. Youske sighed.

"ugghhh" Yosuke started not sure how to say it. Kuro then sighed himself and looked Chie in the face.

"Were lost." He said bluntly and tactessly. Chie looked panic at that comment.

"WHAT!? What do you mean we're lost!?" She demanded now losing her cool, fear, desperation, and anger evident with her voice and facial expression.

"Well...the fog's just so thick...that I-I think we lost our way." Yosuke said hurriedly to Chie cringing for what her next response could be.

"So...let me get this straight...We've been lost for some time now...You two guys knew about it...but, you didn't bother to tell ME until NOW!?" She shouted enraged. Yosuke started backing away slowly from a now pissed off Chie most likely scared for another critical hit to the nads. Kuro? He would've backed away but, was still on her for support so he would have to bear Chie's full wrath of being kept out of the loop regardless.

"What the HELL!? I thought we were all in the same boat!? Why are you telling me this now!?" She shouted. Yosuke had an answer

"Because of the way your reacting right now! Your freaking out and it isn't exactly helping right now!" He retorted.

"That's your excuse!?" Chie shouted.

"Yeah it's my excuse! Why!? Are you saying that I'm wrong!? You're shouting so damn loud I'm surprised Kuro hasn't gone deaf yet!" Yosuke shouted. Kuro just grunted.

'Honestly I'm pretty surprised myself." Kuro thought to himself considering how close he was to Chie.

"That's because you didn't tell me anything and keep me in the loop!" She shouted even louder scowling in full force. Yosuke was getting really annoyed now as well with his face now turned to a scowl as well.

"AGAIN! Because of the way YOUR ACTING RIGHT NOW DUMBASS!" He yelled back at her.

"THE HELL YOU JUST CALL ME BAKAMURA!?" Kuro's ears now in pain with his head, and back had enough of the two bitching at each other like a married couple. Kuro shrugged off Chie's grip on him to her surprise and limped over to Yosuke still in pain with a blank expression on his face.

"Huh!? Kuro wha-"

*SMACK*

Yosuke was silenced however as Kuro back hand slapped Yosuke hard across the face silencing him completely. Chie looked suprised as well but, then smiled.

"Hah! serves you right Bakam-

*SMACK*

Chie was silenced with a back hand to her as well since as soon as Kuro slapped Yosuke he limped his way over to Chie immediately and smacked her as well. Both slapees of course didn't take this too kindly. They both began shouting at him saying things like "What the hell" and "What was that for" among other obscenities along those lines. Kuro however had slapped both of them with purpose and had enough of their petty squabling. He took a deep breath and put on a very fierce yet scary looking viscious glare.

"WILL BOTH OF YOU STOP BITCHING AT EACH OTHER LIKE A MARRIED COUPLE!? I'M GETTIN SICK TO DEATH OF YOUR SHIT!" Kuro roared as menacingly as he could.

"And slapping us both is supposed to help!? Is that how you thank me for carrying you around this place!?" Chie yelled.

"Yeah man what the hell is your problem!? You're accusing us of bitching yet here YOU are doing the same thing!?" Yosuke countered. Kuro pinched his brow in frustration and gritted his teeth.

"I'm just saying..." He began now calmly yet still seething. "You two arguing with each other isn't going to help us get any closer to us getting out of here...Now if you DO wanna get out of here then you'll both stop BITCHING at each other and we'll work together. Understood?" Kuro asked trying to be as diplomatic as possible. Yosuke had calmed a little. Chie on the other hand had had enough of Kuro's crude attitude.

"Oh yeah!? Well who died and made you leader!? Y'know Kuro ever since I've known you when first came into our class you've had this chip on your shoulder, bad attitude on you and right now it's really showing! Your attitude just stinks! And to top it all off you hit me! I'm a girl! What justifies you for that!" Chie unloaded on Kuro about how she really felt about him. Kuro was starting to lose his patience as well.

"Like I give a damn that you're a girl. As far as I'm concerned men are on equal ground as women so I don't see much point with giving the opposite sex the pleasentries that people say they desereve. FURTHERMORE if I didn't smack you and Yosuke I probably would have lost my hearing still leaning on you. Someone had to do something...I just happened to be that guy. AND unlike you I'm actually the most calm out of three of us while you two are freaking out over the most simple of things..." Kuro calmly said with slivers of frustration and anger seeping into his voice.

"Of course were freaking out we're in a completely different place we've never been in before! And you just look like you don't care with that mostly blank expression on your face most of the time and your borish attitude! And by the way, that's a pitiful excuse for hitting a girl you ass! Who do you think you are!?" She shouted. She and Kuro went at with each other in a shouting match. Chie loud, enraged and accusing to Kuro, While Kuro, looking calm yet condescending and yet clearly pissed off. Yosuke wasn't listening to the fight however. He was looking at something else...

"Ugh...guys?" He said unsettled trying to get the other's attention without much success.

"Think what you want I don't really give a damn. I'm just trying to get out of here and your constant bitching, arguing, and short temper just keep getting in the way of everything. If you just shut your damn mouth for five minutes we would probably be out of here." Kuro growled.

"Guys!" Yosuke called out again to only find himself drowned out yet again this time by Chie.

"Oh yeah well your just a plain old ASSHOLE! SO SCREW YOU!" Chie yelled as loud as she could at him.

"Up yours to bitch." Kuro calmly retorted with venom in his words.

"DAMMIT GUYS LISTEN AND LOOK AT THIS!" Yosuke yelled loud enough to get both arguing parties attention.

"WHAT!?" Both Chie and Kuro yelled. As they looked to Yosuke who wasn't actually looking at them but, away from them. In front of them was something that silenced both all teenagers. A massive building towered over them. It was like a sky scraper. It was so high they couldn't see the top. However in front of them were fancy glass double doors that you couldn't see through due to the large of amount of fog that was apparently inside of the building itself. However above the double glass doors was a golden name plate that read out-

"Syx corporatioins?" Chie read aloud. Yosuke and Chie looked confused at the sight before them neither of them knowing who or what this "Syx" was. Kuro's expression however told a completely different story.

'...what...the...fuck...?" Kuro thought to himself his eyes wide and his mouth agape.  
'Why is that name up there!?...I...I don't own a company...The hell is this?' He thought to himself still in a state of shock at what he was seeing. Yosuke noticed his expression.

"Hey...Kuro-san you alright?...what's with that face?" He asked. This startled Kuro enough to snap him out of his stunned stupor.

"H-Huh? I-I m-mean yeah! I-I'm fine why do you ask?" Kuro asked trying to mask his initial shock and doing a poor job at doing so. Yosuke easily caught on to his bluff.

"It's just you were staring at this thing wide eyed and your face was going pale...You know anything about it?" He asked suspiciously. Kuro looked away and back at the building. He didn't know what to say but, he had to come up with something FAST! However on top of this building having that name on the plate he had this uneasy feeling that was unsettled in his gut. He couldn't quite identify it but, he felt a wave of familiarity with this place. He felt like...he had been here before.

'...Why is it...that I feel a wave of nostalgia from this building...have I actually been here before...at the same...it feels kind of...omino-

"GACK!" Kuro shouted as a booming voice rang out in his head.

I ART THOUH

Kuro fell to his knees holding his head cringing in pain. Yosuke and Chie quickly rushed to his aid.

"Kuro-san! What's wrong!?" He heard Yosuke ask.

"YEEEEEEEEK!" A feminine shrill broke through the air as both boys looked to the nearby Chie to see that her face was as white as a sheet, a look of absolute fear on her face. They looked to where she was looking and saw a sight that would be forever burned in their minds. The glass double doors were wide open and inside was a black and red vortex portal similiar to the room they had seen earlier when they went to the slashed poster room. This time however there was a bit of differance. Three blobby black sludgy forms were oozing out of the vortex like portal and slowly but, surely like malasses plopped on the ground in puddles of black ooze.

THOUH ART I

As the voice boomed again in Kuro's head it didn't hurt as much but, still caused him a bit of discomfort. Not enough discomfort however to look at the black puddles begin to take shape. The three puddles slowly rose off of the ground shaped and molded themselves into black balls with red stripes on them. Slits began to form the red striped balls until teeth were revealed in the slits. The slits were reveiled to be mouths as a tongue began to hang from them. That was what was in front of them. Black balls with mouths with tongues hanging out them. It was an unsettling site.

"W-what the hell is that thing!?" Chie shreeked.

"How the hell should I know!?" Yosuke retorted with fear in his voice and expression.

"I dunno but, I'd rather not stay around to find out!" Kuro yelled. However he was stopped once again by the booming voice.

THE TIME HAS COME!

Kuro squinted his eyes at the mild discomfort reverbrating through his body and mind.

OPEN THINE EYES, AND CALL FORTH WHAT IS WITHIN!

Kuro for some reason felt a need to do as commanded and did indeed open his eyes. He didn't feel or see anything differant besides the looming, menacing, black balls hovering not too far from him and his companions. However Kuro actually did notice something differant...last he checked he wasn't holding anything. In his right hand he looked and saw with surprise he was holding a card. It was a velvet blue colored card with a white and black side to it, with strange symbols around it. He flipped it over and saw a rather peculiar picture. It was a man a black colored stick figure holding a knapsack over his shoulder wearing a bandana. He appeared to be on the edge of a cliff with what looked like a dog barking at his heels.

Kuro just cocked his eyebrow at the strange oddity that was before him. Here was a card he had never seen before that just happened to appear in his hand. As if enough wierd shit didn't happen today Kuro felt like his mind was spinning from all of the anamloly's that were happening to him today.

"Hey?...when did you have that card?" Yosuke asked noticing what Kuro was holding.

"Forget that what do we do about these!?" Chie shouted at the black balls that were slowly hovering there towards them, literally licking their lips as if salivating for their prey. Soon the card begins to glow a bright blue hue. Both Chie and Yosuke look towards Kuro and they see a rare sight.

Kuro smiling. Kuro didn't know why exactly he was smiling. He was getting this odd sensation. He felt a rush. A rush of cool energy surging through his spine that was giving him goose bumps all over. It was an exciting good feeling. Then just that moment as the feeling continued to flow through him he saw a vision.

He saw a girl. A brownish haired girl with red eyes and a fair face mouthing a word. She was in what he could guess was a school uniform...she looked no older than him...the word she was mouthing to him however...he felt a need...no...an urge to repeat it...so he did.

"...Per...so...na" And then on instinct he crushed the card in his hand. As the card was crushed into a bunch of glass like light blue pieces, a visible torrent of bluish aura came rushing up around Kuro. His hair was blowing upward a bit as if wind was rushing as his school clothes ruffled a bit as well. Chie and Yosuke just continued to stare wide eyed at the boy as they were witnessing a very rare oddity occuring with the boy they just met. It was as if he was a magnet to strange happenings, one thing after another. They then noticed however that Kuro's mouth was moving once more.

"...The fool arcana...Izanagi..."Kuro monotonosely said once again speaking on instinct to the information that just seemed to pop into his head on the fly. The black ball-like at this point stopped hovering at this point as Kuro opened the hand he used to crush the card. Thousands of the glass-like blue pieces of the card flew out of his hand like a current and traveled behind him. The blue pieces then began to stick to each other rapidly like a magnet until they began to form a shape...it was big...human like...but twice Kuro's size...It was like a light blue statue.

"W-wh-...what the h-hell is that?" Yosuke muttered at in disbelief at what he was seeing.  
'what the hell is this guy?...did he summon this?' Yosuke asked himself in wonder as he tried to make sense of this and was failing miserably. Chie didn't know what to think as thoughts raced through her mind in an attempt to think of something coherent and also failing. Instead they both watched in anticipation to see what would happen next. In that instant they got what they wanted.

As soon as their thoughts left them the glass-like blue structure shattered revealing man in a massive black trench coat with steel plating black, suit plating covering the inside. His face was covered in what looked like a steel mask revealing only his yellow eyes. In his right hand he held a massive thick blade as long as his body. You couldn't see any human skin on him. All of it most likely covered in his attire. He loomed over Kuro looking menacing and intimidating.

Chie and Yosuke were speechless not really sure what to say...too intimitated, scared, or freaked to say or do much of anything. They looked towards the black balls...they were shaking...and shuttering.

'Are those...things...afraid of it too?' Yosuke wondered to himself as the black balls shuddered. However without warning they rushed at Kuro, their mouths wide in what looked like an attempt to bite him. They didn't have a chance to.

When they drew near the massive figure behind Kuro raised his blade and leaped forth over Kuro slicing one of the black balls in half. The said ball dissolved into a black puddle of goop thereafter as it's friends attacked the figure instead. One of the balls chomped on the figures sword arm. The figure flinched as did Kuro. Kuro felt pain sear up his arm. It was the same right arm where the figure protecting him got bit. It seemed as though he got hurt when it did. Kuro however growled through the pain as a word popped in his head that then escaped his lips.

"ZIO!" he shouted. When he did say that word blue sparks began to coarse through his trench coated protectors sword arm and electrocuted the black ball on it dissolving it into goop. The last ball made a last ditch effort to charge straight at the figure's head. However the massive blade wielder simply pulled his blade back and shoved it into the balls mouth it's blade splurting over the other side. Kuro glared at the ball and gave another command.

"Cleave." He said more calmly yet sounding vicious at the same time. At that word the sword wielding being swung it's sword horizontally removing a chunk of the ball. It wasn't down however as it swung downward this time slicing the ball in half and finishing it off reducing it to goop like it's comrades. After this the massive swordsman shook it's blade to shake off the black blood that tainted it and as soon as it did. It fell apart...litteraly...the swordsman finished it's job, glowed a familiar light blue hue and then fell apart into tiny pieces. These tiny pieces all went and were somehow absorbed into Kuro as if they were apart of him.

"..."

"..."  
"..."

"...Dude...what the hell are you?" Yosuke finally asked breaking the silence. Kuro didn't answer. Hell...all he did was turn around with an unsettling grin on his face. Kuro looked happy...too happy as he suddenly looked at his hands as if examining the power he had just displayed.

"Don't know...Don't care..." He said still looking at his hands in wonder. He spoke calmly yet earily...it was unsettling. However the unsettling moment was upped a bit as Kuro felt a buzzing in his head. It grew louder and louder until his vision blurred. He was losing consciousness. He was just then realizing that all the pain of his previous injuries in his back, and head. Kuro then felt a rush of bile run up to his throat as he heaved up all of his stomach's contents to the horror and disgust of his companions. And then...he collapsed...and blacked out, from pain, and absolute fatigue.

Yosuke and Chie were speechless. Neither of them not knowing what to do or say with the situation that they had before them or with what they had just seen.

"...uggh...should we like...help him?" Yosuke asked unsure. As far as he was concerned she wasn't sure after seeing what Kuro did if he was even human...he wondered if he was dangerous...he shuddered at the thought...He killed those black balled beings with that...thing as if they were nothing...who's to say who wouldn't do the same to them.

"Well...he did kind of save us...and we can't just leave him here...right?" Chie asked Yosuke to make sure they were absolutely making the right decision. Chie then nodded fiercely to confirm to herself that it would be wrong to just leave Kuro here. Strange or not.

Chie honestly however at one moment wanted to just leave Kuro. Not only because she pissed her off but, due to what he had just did. Multiple questions were rushing through her mind.  
'How did Kuro do that? Is he human? What were those things he just killed? They were wandering aimlessly through this thick fog for hopefully an answer on how to get home but, to her added despair they only had more questions than answers now.

Regardless of it all however Chie would never leave a defenseless person here. Especially not one that had possibly saved her life. She knew it would be wrong and was against such things passionately and thus helped the usually stoic faced teen.

They both got on either side of his unconscious form. hooked his arms around both of their necks and moved forward through the debilitating fog in hopes of getting home.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Voices

Yosuke And Chie had been dragging a still unconscious Kuro for what felt like hours even though it had only been about thirty minutes. But, time is hard to keep track when you're walking aimlessly through thick fog. Both the conscious teens' nerves had been on an all time high ever since they ran into those strange beings from before in front of that skyscraper...strange beings that Kuro had killed himself by somehow summoning an even STRANGER being. Yosuke couldn't help but, ponder on this as he stole a glance at Kuro, head hanging still from unconsciousness.

'Seems like every minute I spend with this guy crazy crap just continues to happen...Hell! Ever since I've first met him on the day I ran him over with my bike crazy crap just keeps happening! God this is just too much stress for my bladd- NO! Must. keep. It. In...Kuro would kill me if he woke up and found out I pissed my pants while holding him...' The fawn hair colored teen thought to himself. However his thoughts came to an abrupt end when he and Chie heard a groaning from the said teen he was just thinking about.

"Oh thank God!...I thought you weren't going to wake for a while!" Chie said in relief. While Kuro did indeed piss her off to a certain extent Chie wasn't going to just leave him for dead just for a spat they had. Likewise in the case of Yosuke while she didn't get along with him all the time, she wouldn't hesitate to protect him in a pinch. She was unsure if she would do the same for Kuro since she didn't exactly have a level of friendship with him as she did with Yukiko, and Yosuke but, she wouldn't dare abandon him or refuse to help him or anyone in this situation. It was just the way she was.

"Hey man how're you feeling? That was some magic trick you pulled back there." Yosuke said commenting on what Kuro did back at the skyscraper. Kuro himself...in his words. Felt like absolute shit. His head was hurting even worse, His back pains were so bad that he doubt that he could even crawl without feeling pain, and felt so fatigued it was a struggle to stay awake.

"Guhhh...Am I to assume were still in the TV with all this damn fog still around?" Kuro inquired.

"Unfortunately." Yosuke replied.

"Shit." Kuro deadpanned. Yosuke felt really bad for Kuro right now. The poor guy looked like he was getting worse and worse, and felt if they didn't get out of here soon it would continue that way.

As if to prove Yosuke's point Kuro suddenly fell to his knees, the support of his two aquaintances unable to hold him anymore.

"HEY! A-Are you ok!?" Chie asked quickly at Kuro's moment of weakness.

"...no." Kuro moaned honeslty. As if they needed even more evidence about his condition, Kuro's eyes suddenly bulged as his head reared back and fell forth with his bodily fluids gushing from his mouth. It obviously wasn't a very pretty site.

"UGH! GROSS! Thanks for the warning!" Yosuke complained at the sight feeling like he was going to throw up too.

"No...problem...URGH!" He said before he began upchucking even more. This time Yosuke had to turn away before he started throwing up himself as he and Chie distanced themeslves from him to give the poor guy some space to recover.

"Yosuke-kun this is bad...He looks like he's getting worse and worse by the second." Chie whispered to him very worried about Kuro's condition now.  
d  
"Yeah I know...I feel the longer he stays here the worse he's gonna get...Chie we've gotta hurry and find the exit to this place or...or-" Yosuke said grimmly as if the worst possible outcome were on the edge of his lips. Chie cut him off before he could spit it out however.

"No! It's not going to come to that!...Look Kuro said it himself! 'If there's an entrance there's an exit'...right?" Chie said quoting Kuro in hoping that he was right.

"Y-yeah right...we...we just gotta...just gotta keep on keepin on." Yosuke said not sounding so sure of himself, and rightly so given the situation. But, he did everything he could to make it sound like he wasn't going to panic because he just knew...he knew that if he panicked... everything would go to hell.

"Ugh...guys...urgh...haven't...we been here before." Kuro manged to breathe out after getting his bearings and limping well away from his...unmentionables to point something out. Kuro weakly pointed out with his finger about all the familiar television sets the gang had run into when they first landed inside the TV. They were back where they started.

For the first time in a long time Chie had a slight look of relief on her face. "Whew!...finally made it back here..." Kuro could feel that relief as well. He had a feeling of dread that in the condition he was in that there was the possibility of them not making it out of here but, the fact that they could make it back gave him hope...though not much since they were still stuck he-"Wait...What's that...?" Chie suddenly asked breaking Kuro's train of thought.

"Th-There's something over there!" Yosuke declared pointing in a direction where there was indeed a black sillhoute barely shrouded by the thick fog. It was round he could tell that much...

'oh God...might be one of those...ball things again...The fuck are we gonna do if that's the case?' Kuro thought to himself with dread.

"This is bad...we've...got to...leave." Kuro urged them as his fear grew of what could come. He didn't know how he summoned that swordsmen from before but he doubted he could do it again in the state he was in.

The sillhouete to their suprrise before they could make their escape grew larger...signalling it was coming towards them. All the teens were now put on red alert.

"H-hey! there's only of it and three of us! W-We m-might be able to take it!" Yosuke declared shakily as everyone got into a defensive stance. (or hunched in pain stance if your Kuro).

However soon the sillhouete came into view. It was everything they WEREN'T expecting.

What stood before them now no longer shrouded in fog was what looked like a life sized stuffed animal. It had mid section that had three red and white stripes with red buttons that went down the middle. It's eyes were googly and black like a toy's...the top of its a head looked like a furry blue with bear-like ears slowly twitching at the top. It had a simple wide smile and while it was slightly shorter than all of the teens it was definitely...fuller in Kuro's opinion.

'...dafuq is this shit?' Kuro mentally asked himself.

Chie was just as perplexed. "What is this thing? A monkey? A bear?"

"What in the world?" Yosuke was speechless. He didn't seem to have a guess of what this was. The wierd stuffed animal broke even more laws of reality by speaking.

"Th-That's what I wanna know! Who are you guys?..." Everyone's jaw including Kuro's nearly hit the floor. Here was a walking and now a talking stuffed animal in front of them. What weirded Kuro out even more was the fact that the mouth of the bear didn't move while it was speaking...it...was most certainly bizzare for him. the others shared in his sentiment.

"*gasp* It talked!" Chie exclaimed. She then however got into an aggressive stance as if preparing for an attack which neither Yosuke or Kuro could blame her for.  
"W-What are you!? Y-You wanna fight!?"

The bear to Kuro's surprise however didn't respond with aggressiveness to Chie's challenge but instead it's eyes grew fearful and cowered slightly away from her. "D-Don't yell at me like that..." It said fearfully holding its head with it's stubby arms as if getting ready to be hit. Kuro's immediate thought was to attack or run from the thing in case of danger...But then he thought of it from a different perspective

'...This thing must live here if it looks as bizzare as those ball things we encountered earlier...if it lives here...it might know the way out...it hasn't attacked us yet...so maybe...maybe we should try reasononing with it...it's worth a shot...either we get help and find away out...or refuse and die looking for one ourselves...' Kuro thought grimly to himself.

"H-Hey...Mr...bear...thing...What exactly is this place?" Kuro wheezed out still clutching his head a bit and speaking as calm as he could to not alarm the...bear...

The said bear seemed to indeed calm a tad bit and spoke again.

"This place is what it is. It doesn't have a name. It's where I live."

"You...live here?" Yosuke inquired now as curious as Kuro.

"If I was you guys, I'd hurry back to the other side. Someone's been throwing people in here. It's a big headache." The bear said. THIS got Kuro's attention. Yosuke spoke speaking what was on Kuro's mind.

"Huh? Throwing people in? What're you talking about?" Yosuke asked not understanding. The bear's expression then grew serious as if annoyed.

"I don't know who's doing it! I just want them to think before they go doing things like that!" it exclaimed.

"Hey, what's your problem? What gives YOU the right to yell at us like that!? What ARE you!? Where are we!? What the heck's going on here!?" Chie said her aggresiveness showing due to the stress of the situation. The bear ran in fear from Chie and for some reason hid behind Kuro...Probably because he was acting the most calm of the trio...mostly due to how sickly he was at the moment.

"Look Chie...You need to calm down." Kuro breathed out still worn out for being in this strange world. "Freaking out on this guy isn't gonna help our situation...if he wanted to attack us he probably would have by now...just relax...and let me do the talking alright?"

Chie calmed down and seemed hesitant to trust him...but, gave in feeling a bit sympathetic for his condition. She nodded and let him handle it.

"Listen...bear...y'know what?...screw it. Do you have a name Mr. Bear?"

The mysterious bear seemed to relax a bit and opened up to Kuro. "Y-Yeah..M-my name is Teddie."

"..."

"..."

"...figures." Yosuke deadpanned exasperated. Kuro sighed at the simplenesss of the name but, went with the flow, rather than go against it.

"So listen...Teddie...We need your help...Me and my...aquaintances here...have been trapped in this place for quite a bit...Do you know a way out of here?

Usually Teddie wasn't one to blindly trust a human but, there was something differant about this one. Teddie wasn't sure if the other two humans were aware of it but, thanks to his special lenses he could not only see through the fog, but also see certain anomolies that he couldn't explain himself.

He swore that he could feel the energy...or maybe he even see this dark blue hue that surrounded the messy haired human speaking to him right now. Teddie felt...soothed around him...plus he seemed genuinely nicer than his to other aqueeentences or whatever he called th-!

'Wait a minute!...I'm beary suspicious now...I GOT IT! I've met this human before! I remember now! No wonder he felt so familiar! What in this world could he be doing back here!.'

"What are you doing back here mister Syx!? You were lucky to get out last time but, why did you come back...this seems beary suspcious!" Teddie exclaimed pointing one of stubby arms at Kuro.

"...What?" Kuro just said...he didn't know whether he should be focused on the fact that Teddie made a cheesy bear pun...or the fact that he knew him...and called him by his REAL last name...he's never met the bear before...at least he couldn't recall a time he fell inside of a damn TV and met a talking stuffed animal anytime in the past.

"The hell are you talking about? I've never been here before..." Kuro said not understanding what Teddie meant. Yosuke and Chie looked confused as well.

"But, how could you forget! If it wasn't for me you would be beary much dead right now..." Teddie exclaimed. This got everyone's attention now...Chie and Yosuke had no idea what the bear was rambling about but, Kuro was starting to get a bit nervous...if this bear somehow...SOMEWAY knows about him...about his secret identity or where he came from...he might be in trouble.

"Why if my nose is correct, which it always is! I recognize your scent. I could never forget it with how much you were bleeding the last time you were here it was gruesome!" Teddie reminisced as if remembering a painful memory.

"...What the hell are you talking about right now?" Kuro asked again...he was bleeding?...BLEEDING?...WHEN!?...the bear knew something...What he knew however Kuro didn't know himself. "...How much was I bleeding?" Kuro asked curiously yet warily now on edge.

"Everywhere! You had these holes in you and lots of red blood started coming out of them...it was grizzly..." The bear said...

'...what...the fuck?...the gunshot wounds?! I got those before I ended up in the hospital!...what the fuck is going on!? Kuro thought to himself hurriedly and now very, VERY, worried about the bear knowing something. He quickly looked to Chie and Yosuke but, to his relief neither of them seemed to believe in the bear's story.

"Bear what are you going on about !? Look we don't care about your delusional insinuations we just wanna go home!" Yosuke shouted in exasperation, not wanting to continue this conversation and instead wanting to get the hell out of here.

Teddie however clearly didn't like that no one was believing him and that he was being called deluional "Grrrrr, I told you I'm not lying! I'm telling the truth I've seen this guy before! And would you relax I can get you home!" The bear shouted as he stamped his foot on the ground. As he did so A massive cloud burst next the bear...once the cloud dissipitated a stack of three box TV's were stacked next to him.

"What the hell!?"

"Holy shit!"

"Wh-Where did those TVs come from!?"

All three teens exclaimed as the boxed TV's stood tall and stacked on top of each other. Kuro thought wierder shit couldn't happen with there being another world, monsters existing, and a talking teddie bear.

He clearly has been mislead.

As all three teens stood in front of the stacked TVs in wonder. Teddie didn't hesitate to send them packing.

"Okay, now, go, go, get outta here! In case you haven't noticed, I'm a very busy bear!" Teddie exclaimed as he began pushing and shoving them from behind and into the middle TV.

"What's going on now!? Whoa! Hey, what're you doing!?"

"S-Stop pushing!"

"W-wait a second I still have more questiioooooooooons!" the teens exclaimed as they were shoved into the TV and felt a familiar rush of them falling through a portal.

...

After quite a bit of disorientation, especially for Kuro who felt like puking again, they all came to their senses after another unjoyful ride to the familiar Junes jingle. They were inside the supermarket again in front of the TV they just went through.

"W-...were back!" Kuro exclaimed in relief. Chie and Yosuke noticing this were also so happy and relieved for not dying that they both hugged each other in ectacy...aaaaand five seconds later Chie kneed Yosuke in the gut.

"HEY! Who said you could hug me like that!?" Chie exclaimed to a now whimpering Yosuke on the floor hugging his gut. Kuro winced as he swore he could see tears coming out of the poor mans eyes.

"...Why'd you do that?...didn't you hug him too?" Kuro inquired. This seemed to emberrass Chie however as she put on a pissed face. "N-no! I didn't ask him too!"

'Wow...what a bad liar...' In Kuro's mind...she clearly enjoyed. His mind left that however as the store announcer blared to life.

Store announcer: "Attention, shoppers. Our daily limited-time sale will now begin at the side dish area on the first floor. Why not try the delicious, fresh produce Junes picked for you this morning as your side dish for dinner tonight? All ages are invited to take advantage of this incredible bargain!" It announced.

Yosuke with a hand still on his gut widened his eyes in realization of something. "Crap, it's already that late!?"

"Looks like we were in there for quite a while..." Chie mused.

"No (Pant) shit..." Kuro wheezed as he noticed that his breating was starting to get better.

"Oh yeah man you feeling any better?...you don't look as pale as before..." Yosuke noticed.

Kuro stopped moving for a moment and noticed that he indeed...felt a hell of a lot better than he did just a few moments ago while he was inside the tv. He still felt a bit of back pain and his head was a still a bit sore but, nowhere near the amount of pain it was in before.

"Huh...Feels like...I just...popped in an aspirin...the hell?"

Chie blinked at that statement as if then realizing someting "Now that you mention it...My head suddenly feels a lot clearer...it's almost as if...a weight's been lifted off of me without all that fog."

"Yeah me too...I definitely feel...How do I put it...cleaner? Man, I don't even know what I'm talking about right now." Yosuke grunted. As Kuro heard all of there opinions then it all but, deduced what he had guessed...something in that...place...had made them all feel like shit...what exactly he couldn't say for sure...but, he had to bet it had something to do with that fog...or that yellowish sickly hue in there...one thing was for damn sure though for Kuro.

'There's no way in hell I'm going back in there.' He thought to himself finally. He had to guess that his unfortunate companions had to agree with him. Just then something caught Kuro's eyes...a familiar sight...a poster...something about it seemed familiar...more complete.

"Have we seen that poster somewhere?" Kuro pointed out. It was a poster of a what looked like a female singer...Kuro could swear that he saw her face somewhere before.

His aquaintences looked to the poster. While Chie just shook her head as if she couldn't quite grasp where. Yosuke looked like he was on to something.

"That Poster! That's the same poster that was slashed up inside of that messed up room back there! That one women Mizusu Hiragi!" Kuro immediately recognized the name. Chie finally looked like she understood now and completed Kuro's thought.

"She's been all over the news lately. Something about...her husband having an affair with that announcer lady who died the other day."

"OH! Now I remember! Her husband had that affair with that Yamano women!...the one that as you just said...is dead...huh...that's...quite a coincidence." Kuro said slower and slower as he felt dread creeping into his spine as he began putting two and two together. Yosuke noticed this all too quickly and spoke his mind.

"Kuro-san...what's wrong?...Wait!...you think...That weird room we saw...You think it could be related to that Yamano lady's death...? Now that I think about it...there was that creepy noose hanging from the ceiling..-

"Do I think that she died there?...inside of that...place?...and that this Hiragi person had something to do with it?...more or less..." Kuro grimly stated. Yosuke and Chie both looked at him with shock and horror at his statement.

"Yaaargh, stop! No more! We gotta stop talking about this." Yosuke yelled.

"Yeah...gonna be kind of hard to do that." Kuro groaned tiredly after surviving the rather recent events. "I'll try to forget how I just got eaten by a TV, met a talking stuffed animal and got regurgitated right back out of the same said TV." Kuro groaned.

"Don't forget how you summoned an inhuman-like swordsman and destroyed some floating living black...balls of death." Chie added in.

"Oh trust me...I won't" Kuro answered. The topic of what Kuro did in the TV was something that brought Yosuke to a rather familiar topic.

"Come to think of it how did you do that?...that...that summoning thing...what did you call it?...A "Persona"?" Kuro just pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance due to Yosuke asking him questions he didn't have any answers to. There were so many questions he needed answering to as well he felt as if his head would spin.

"Man, I don't know alright?...I...I feel like I just did it on...I just did it on instinct's s'all...I don't really know how I did it...it just came naturally...Very surreal shit." Yosuke's answer quota however was clearly not satisfied yet.

"And there's something else I don't get...How did that bear know you? He didn't really get to finish that thought of his did he?...I was a bit annoyed at the moment so I didn't pay much mind to it...but the more I think about it..." At this Kuro stopped getting annoyed and began to get a bit panicked. He himself didn't know what that bear knew about him or where or when he met that...thing but, if it knew ANYTHING of him and his past life...he was in trouble.

"Didn't you say you were wanted to wipe this event away from your mind as soon as possible...if you really do your doing a crappy job at it." Kuro tried to play off the question casually but, this only seemed to make Yosuke even more susupicious.

"You didn't answer my question..." Yosuke said with suspicion ever so evident in his eyes. Kuro looked to Chie and even she had some doubt in her eyes. Kuro frowned

"You calling me a liar?"

"I can't call you anything if you haven't denied or accepted anything."

"Look I don't know him all right!? I've never met him, nor have I met any other talking stuffed animals in my lifetime! This I swear!" Kuro denied a bit annoyed. Chie this time cut in.

"And how are we supposed to trust you? Kuro I was willing to help you back in that TV but, if you know something about it..."

'for the love of'

"Look...I understand-" Kuro began but, Yosuke cut in.

"No you don't understand!...I don't know what I just saw or what I'm supposed to think of it! What I do understand is that bear thing...It knew you...I know what I heard!...I'm just trying to wrap my head around how that is, and your doing a bad job at giving answers." Kuro now began to glare in annoyance and anger at there disbelief in them.

"I'll ask it again...You calling me a liar?"

"Well I sure am not calling you a truther." Yosuke bit back.

"Oh yeah...well say I am lying...what are you gonna do about it?" he said challenging Yosuke right there and then.

"...Your hiding something aren't you?" Yosuke was now completely suspicious now without a shred of doubt in his mind. He had a right idea that Kuro in his mind...knew something about that other world...and he just couldn't help himself to find out what. Chie however was starting to just feel the tension between the two and knew that it could explode at any moment...and in a public place like this...to her it was a miracle that no one had dropped by to see the argument.

"Ugh...guys...l-let's just head home and call it a day alright it's late remember?" Chie reminded them with hopes of defusing the situation.

"...Tch...Fuck this..." Kuro sneered as he moved to walk away but, was stopped when Yosuke firmly grasped his arm holding him in place. Kuro quickly jerked his head back to Yosuke who had an angry yet determined expression on his face.

"...let go..." He commanded.

"I will if you tell me what your hiding..." Yosuke responded.

"Why do you care?...your starting to really try my patience right now." Kuro growled.

"I just wanna know the truth...that's all...why are you getting all defensive?"

"Why are you so damn nosy?" Yosuke frowned

"Your dodging the question man...in fact if I recall correctly that bear called you Mr. Syx...didn't htat skyscraper we went to have the name plate on it saying "Syx Corporations?...what does that mean exactly?" Kuro kept silent however and only glared at Yosuke harder. "I want you to give me an answer man." Yosuke said trying to sound intimidating. This however only angered Kuro further.

"Well I want you to bugger off my arm...but, we don't always get what we want in this world so that just sucks for you doesn't it?" Kuro sneered before he leaned into Yosuke...his face blank but, clearly withholding much anger now.

"I'll tell you this one more time...let go...I don't know anything about the questions you want answers to...let...go...now..." Kuro said plainly and calmly but, with a feeling of force behind his words. This time Yosuke did let go as Kuro jerked his arm back.

"Now...was that so hard?..." Kuro said lowly as he stormed away as calmly as he could as to not start a scene with customers now coming in the area. Chie glared at Yosuke.

"Are you out of your damn mind!? I thought he was gonna punch you for a second!" Yosuke just sighed dropping the glare he had been holding at Kuro the whole time as he slumped his now relaxed shoulders.

"Tell me about it...I thought he was gonna deck me if I didn't let go...but, still...you can't deny that he's hiding something right?" At this Chie sighed

"I dunno Yosuke-kun...maybe? Look we've had a long day alright? I just wanna forget all of this crap and this argument didn't help anything..." She complained. Yosuke looked down realizing that she was somewhat right...

'what was up with me?...sure I wanted to know but...damn...I think I might of really pissed him off...dammit I should have followed my own advice.' Yosuke grimaced to himself. He realized he may have overstepped his bounds about asking Kuro about the TV. Something in his gut told him he knew something about that place...but, right now it wasn't his place to ask in his mind. 'Heck maybe their right. Dammit I need to listen to myself more! That's it! From here on out I will not conjure a thought on that TV, Bear, or anything!...yeah easier said that done.' Yosuke put on an wry smile and sighed.

"Yeah...your right...damn maybe I went too far on him...y'think I should apologize to him?" Chie thought about it but, shook her head.

"You saw how pissed he was. I think it's best to just wait till tomorrow when he's calm to be honest...Still...Even after all I said about you being so set on that...I can kind of understand how you feel." Yosuke arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just...we barely know a thing about him...I mean think about it...We know he isn't Japanese...And that his Guardian is detective Dojima." Yosuke's eyes widened at this realization.

"His guardian is a detective!?...wait...so he's not his Dad?" Chie once again shook her head.

"I don't think so...I just don't see the resemblance." Yosuke looked in the direction Kuro had stormed off in who was way out of sight at this point. He sighed to himself holding his head as if he felt a headache coming on.

'well...this is going to be an interesting year I'm sure...' Yosuke set to move on home but, stopped dead in his tracks as he realized something and his face contorted into a look of disgust.

"...crap..."

"Huh...What's wrong?" Chie asked perplexed.

"I...I just pissed myself...dammit!" Yosuke whined. Chie looked down at Yosuke's pants and sure enough, it looked damp as can be.

"UGH! Gross!" Chie shouted in disgust as she swung her leg up Yosuke legs and landing him right in his soldier causing to go down without a fight.

"That's it! I've had it for today! I'm going home!" Chie shouted fed up with today's events and doing just as she said, leaving Yosuke whimpering on the floor like a wounded animal..

"...Dammit...why is it always me?..." Cue sad violin music.

...

To say Kuro was pissed would be the understatement of the day...ok after all the crazy crap that happened to him earlier then saying that would be a lie...but suffice it to say he was quite livid and seething at the moment. In short...not in a good mood.

He felt betrayed, and unrightly accused.  
'who the hell are they to assume shit they have no proof of thinking in!? I didn't do a damn thing and that son of a bitch talks and interrogates me like I'm guilty of something. Albeit Maybe I am but, not in any of...whatever the hell that wierd shit it is!' He angrily thought to himself storming through the shopping district with a scowl on his face.

One of the problems with Kuro was that whenever he was in a bad mood like this, It was hard for him to get out of it. He didn't really have a huge temper in general...he doesn't blow a gasket over small trivial things like petty insults. However his anger had a trend of building up like a pressure cooker and steaming out venomously causing him to be rude or curt with people...or when he got really mad and just exploded into an unbridled rage. That in itself was a rarity. What was happening right now however was the former of the two. Kuro kept swearing to himself in English to try and blow off steam in any way he could. At this point he was very irritable and almost anything was pissing him off. He was so irritable in fact that he began to grumble out his furstrations

"What's even more rediculous is that those morons would take a stuffed animal's word over mine...if that isn't rediculous I don't know what is...Don't even know why I bother with that shit...never should have told em about the damn TV...Hell I shouldn't even talk to em anymore...their all the same...Just like those ass holes in grade school...They're nice and goody, goody to ya in the beginning...but, once they get to know me...they don't have a problem with turning on me.' He thought darkly to himself." The messy haired teen growled to himself.

"perhaps your overthinking this just a bit...your emotions are overclouding your judgement." A voice unfamiliar to Kuro said to him...A voice he couldn't quite pinpoint. He looked around him but, couldn't quite find the person who said that.

"...the hell?...who said that?" Kuro asked in general. There weren't many people in the shopping district at the moment but, the ones that heard just looked at him not knowing what he was talking about. He just huffed to himself instead of thinking anything of it.

"Great...just great...Now I'm hearing shit..." He complained as he pinched the bridge of his nose heading towards the Dojima residence.

"You are not too far off the mark." The same person said again. Kuro was now sure he wasn't hearing shit. He knew what he heard but, again couldn't find out who said that.

'Is someone screwing with right now?" He angrily thought to himself. Yosuke came to mind for someone who could do this but, he wouldn't see why he would do this...he wanted answers to questions that Kuro couldn't answer not to play petty games with him for his own amusement...unless.

"Yosuke if that's you I'm not even joking right now...I swear to god if you keep pissing me off I'm gonna clock you!" He shouted out to try and test his theory. Now everyone around just gave him an odd look as if he was going a bit crazy...Kuro was starting think among those lines as well. First A TV tries to eat him...then one sucssessfully eats him...then he summons some wierd swords-man...kills shit, get spat back out, gets accused by a talking stuffed animal, and then by his acquaintances, now he was hearing shit...Kuro just sighed exasperated rubbing his temples...what was next?...Miley Cyrus twerking?...

"Perhaps it is best if you think less about this...You're only making it more difficult for yourself." Kuro just gave up at this point. If someone was saying things behind his back he'd ignore it...If not and he was going crazy and hearing things, then oh well...he'd ignore that too. For like the millionth time today he once again sighed in exapseration and made his way to the Dojima residence wanting to call it a day.

...

Y'know how Kuro was feeling a bit better after leaving the TV...Yeah...well that little burst of better condition had warn off halfway to his house. Kuro felt groggy, tired, and mentally exhausted after calming down from his internal tirade not too long ago. And to top it off it had started pouring heavily when he was almost at his destination...Kuro liked the rain, so long as he didn't get too wet...unfortunately this was not the case seeing as he didn't bring an umbrella.

Now soaked to the bone he entered the Dojimas' house not even bothering to say hello to the family that was in the living room watching TV. Nanako looked like she was ready to say something but, for some reason shied agaisnt it. Not wanting waste his time Kuro made his way upstairs to take a shower and play vi-...

Kuro mentally facepalmed himself after forgetting to get a game system to occupy himself...he didn't even have a laptop...just TV in his room...in his mind that just didn't suffice.

He suddenly realized he was supposed to ask Yosuke about that stuff but, immediately frowned at the thought of the head-phone wearing teen...the thought of him made his blood bubble slighlty. Sighing he headed upstaris to his room until Dojima stopped him.

"Hey!...I don't know if you realize this or not but, since you both go to the same school I thought you should know this...Saki Konishi...a girl who's a year higher than you...went missing recently."

At this Kuro stopped dead in his tracks...that name...Kuro remembered her as the girl who Yosuke fancied...he nearly growled in frustration.

'Again with Yosuke...for the love of God.' Kuro nearly growled at once again having Yosuke pop in his head. That thought aside he remembered her from yesterday...she was...intresting to say the least...that and Kuro remembers she was the one who found the body of that announcer lady yesterday...Suddenly Kuro stopped thinking for a moment...instead he spoke.

"When did this happen?"

"A bit earlier today...were still looking...let me know if you here anything alright I'd really appreciate it." Ryotaro asked. Kuro simply nodded his head and made his way up to his room. His clothes completely damp, and the pouring rain pattering against his window, he stripped down and got a bath ready...usually he'd take shower but, needed to relax a bit.

'For a small town that's all the way in the middle of nowhere interesting stuff never seems to stop happening around here...' Kuro thought to himself as he got his bath ready. As he examined his body a bit he realized just how much staying in a hospital withered away all impressive muscle sculpture he previously had on his body...he had a bit of a gut now, but was thin mostly in his arms, and legs...basically not in the best of shape...

'I really gotta start working again...I mean I probably don't need it but,...the state I'm in is just sad...' He lamented lazily as he got into the now ready bath relaxing what muscles he did have left. With his mind now lax his thoughts drifted to that girl Dojima told him about...Saki Konishi.

'She found the body...The reporters did a horrible job at censoring her...Maybe...the killer.' Kuro immediately stopped thinking those thoughts and tried to relax again...in his mind, nothing like that could happen...it was just to cliche...She was tired yesterday...maybe she just needed to get away...But, then his thoughts drifted to what Yosuke said yesterday.

"All that aside...you know that "incident" yesterday? You guys think it was murder?  
Ooh, what if the culprit behind it was still lurking around...? Heehee..." Kuro grunted too himself thinking that he was a fool to believe Yosuke's way of thinking...As if what Yosuke said would come true...hell it pobably wasn't even murder that ended that lady's life...maybe she just couldn't handle the media whores barking at her...still.-

'NO, NO, NO! Stop thiking about it NO! Remember what that voice said...the more you think about it...GRAAAAH! Now I'm listening to a voice in my head goddamn!...ok...enough thinking...relaxation...yeah...that's what I'll think about...' He thought to himself as he just closed his eyes. and let his worries wash away...or tried to anyways.

"Do you truly think that nothing bad has happened...or is that what you want to believe?...Is the truth really something you want to keep hiding from like you have been doing for so many years?"

Kuro's body froze and went rigid. At this point Kuro thought that he had to be either crazy...or something in the TV did something to him...last time he checked he didn't have any voices in his head...with no one else around there was no excuse.

"...Who are you...why...where in the hell are you?" Kuro asked now on edge. He felt a chuckle as if the voice was acting condescending to him further annoying him...so much for relaxing.

"I come from no absolute direction but, from within you...I art thou...Thou art I...does this sound familiar to you?" The voice responded...something in Kuro's head clicked at this statement.

"Your the voice...the voice before that TV and...and from when those balls attacked me...Who are you?" Kuro said trying to keep calm with every fiber of his being.

"I already answered that question young one...You called for me...and I answered...I am the one who has helped you in your hours of need." It criptically stated...Kuro was confused...Since when did this voice in his head help him? It hasn't done jack shit other tha-!

"The swordsman!?" Kuro asked in reply...the voice chuckled a bit before replying.

"A part of me prefers to go by Izanagi...I'd prefer you keep it that way Rick Syx..." Kuro's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at being called that. He buried that name along with his old identity years ago. What he would like to know is how a voice in his head knew something like this.

"How the hell do you know my name!...You still there?...HEY!" Kuro shouted annoyed at nothingness waiting for a reply...He never got one...He felt like he was getting toyed with...like someone was playing a game with him...If there were games being played...and he was one of the pieces in it...he wanted the game over with...he wanted answers...The problem however?...He didn't know where to find them...He then remembered it was raining outside when he was coming to the house...He didn't know where to find the EXACT answers he was looking for...but, he knew where to start.

...

11:55 PM  
Hanamura residence

"Yosukeeeeee! are you still up! It is way past your bed time young man!" Yosuke's mother screamed from downstairs as the teenager in question swore to himself for making it known he was not asleep just yet by loudly stubbing his pinky toe on the corner of his bed. One of the most frustrating and yet painful injuries.

"No I'm asleep!" Came his reply but, then he swore to himself silently as he realized what he had just done.

"You smartalicky brat! You go to bed right now before I clean out your room again!" She shouted. Yosuke immediately shuttered at the thought due to the content in his...magazines that held inside of his room. He had a bit of a thing for nurses but, his mom nearly found that out the last time she went cleaning in his room, when he visibly took his magazines away from his mother when she nearly threw them away.

She's been suspicious of him ever since and has taken great strides in hiding them ever since. He sighed wanting to avoid her tirade against his pornography.

"Yes mom!" He lied to her as he sat in front of his blank television...no matter what he did he couldn't stop thinking about the Television...the midnight channel...Since Kuro could go inside the TV last night while he said it was on...he thought to himself. He thought it was rediculous and wondered why he would think of such a thing...but, in the end...he couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Man look at me...I'm freakin out over nothing...heheheh...yeah...Don't even know why I'm considering this." And even as he told himself this he couldn't tare his gaze away from the screen as the only noise permeating the room was the constant pattering of rain against his window. To his amazement like last night...An image appeared on his screen with a familiar yellow hue...he quickly looked to the clock and saw that it was indeed midnight...the image was a lot less fuzzier.

12:00 AM Dojima residence

Kuro looked at the screen unable to turn away...he stayed up to watch this for a reason...Yosuke wasn't the only one who wanted answers...he did too...and not only that...he saw someone on the screen...Kuro couldn't believe it.

12:01 AM Hanamura residence

The image faded out leaving a blank screen.

Yosuke's mouth ajar...his eyes...wide...his mind blank and his mouth the only thing that was working at the moment said:

"S-Saki senpai..."

...

A/N: And so ends the calm before the storm. I've been waiting a long time for the events in the next chapter to take place and I'm all prepared to thow swerves. Oh and in case your wondering why Kuro can be a bit of an asshole sometimes well, that's just a part of who he is a the moment. He's not exactly trusting and you can say that Yosuke questioning him is starting to shatter the fragile trust Kuro has for his aquaintances. I call Chie and Yosuke Kuro's acquaintences becuase he doesn't consider them his friends yet. Anyways I may have the next chapter done by next week so pls stay tuned and right them reviews!


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